Heavily armed gunmen raided a jail in south-central Nigeria late on Sunday and freed more than 260 inmates - almost everyone in the prison.
A spokesman for the Correctional Service said the attackers started a gun battle with guards at the medium-security prison at Kabba in Kogi State, southwest of the federal capital Abuja.
Authorities did not provide further details on any casualties.
A total of 294 inmates were in custody at the time - 224 of them pre-trial detainees and 70 convicted, according to the prison service. It noted that the jail was established in 2008 with a capacity for 200 inmates.
Suspects can spend years in pre-trial detention in Nigeria. On their part, human rights groups say prisons are often overcrowded and legal procedures inefficient.
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