Photo credit : AMMAborkena
March 9,2019
Five people are reported dead due to violence in Bahir Dar prision, western Ethiopia, on Friday March 8,2019, according to a report published today by Amhara regional State media – AMMA. All of the victims are said to be inmates and bodies have been given to family members.
Several other inmates have sustained wound and are, reportedly, in the hospital in Bahir Dar City.
A policeman who happened to enter the prison following the clash is reported “missing,” Commander of the prison administration, Wubshet Mekonnen is cited as saying.
As per the report by AMMA, clash in the prison broke out when six policemen enter prisoner’s cells to search for illegal items after the prison administration was tipped that they have been smuggled into the prison cells.
As the policemen enter, some convicted prisoners try to overpower and attack them that anti-protest police reinforcement was requested.
It was in the ensuing confrontation between anti-protest police and prisoners who were protesting police search that five prisoners were killed, based on the report by AMMA. Prisoners reportedly confronted anti-protest police by throwing rocks.
Considerable number of prisoners reportedly stood on the side of police but were reportedly attacked by prisoners who were putting up a fight against law enforcement forces.
The prison administration disclosed that it seized 20 mobile phone, knives, machete, spade, pickaxe, unspecified acid and marijuana, among other things.
The prison administration linked the problem to lack of using modern scanning devices to detect such items.
This is the second prison incident to happen in Amhara region in two weeks time. On February 28, 17 inmates reportedly escaped from police custody in Dabat, North Gonder.
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