Abomey-Calavi: an escape attempt foiled at the civil prison

The city of Abomey-Calavi was shaken by an unexpected incident on Sunday. While national attention remained focused on the foiled attempt to seize power in Cotonou, inmates at the civil prison tried to take advantage of the unsettled atmosphere to escape.

The operation was quickly brought under control by prison officers, according to reports by Le Potentiel.

The incident began with what was dismissed as ordinary agitation in one of the detention center’s central buildings. The guards, accustomed to handling routine altercations between inmates, at first saw it as a commonplace disturbance. The situation changed when unusual movements were observed in adjacent areas, suggesting the commotion was merely a ruse to divert attention.

Faced with these suspicious signs, the agents on site called for reinforcements already stationed within the prison grounds. Their rapid intervention made it possible to contain the escape attempt and restore order before the ringleaders could reach the facility’s sensitive areas.

The national context, marked by the failure of an armed group that sought to seize control of the national television and dissolve institutions, seems to have acted as a catalyst for this improvised attempt. The inmates reportedly tried to exploit the confusion, without success.

The prison administration recorded no escapes, and the situation returned to normal by the end of the day.