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About 800 inmates who were charged with robbery, rape and homicide crimes engineered the Kano Central prison riot on Monday.  Addressing newsmen yesterday, the Public Relations Officer of the Prisons Service in Kano, ASP Yahaya Muhammad Fari, explained that the inmates embarked on the riot because of their long stay in prison.

He disclosed that most of them have spent between eight to nine years awaiting trial.

The prison boss noted that prison officials informed the inmates that the delay in their trial was caused by judiciary staff who are presently on strike, but they failed to show understanding with the situation.

According to him, the official capacity of the Central Prison in Kano is 690, but on the day of the riot, "we were having 1,254 inmates, out of which almost 950 are awaiting trial.

The image maker said the inmates started the riot by trying to break the walls of the prison.

" About four of the inmates were climbing the wall when our armed men outside started shooting in the air to scare them. In the process some of them sustained injuries, but no death was recorded," he added.

OCONUS TOC SOURCE