Punch correspondent gathered that several others were injured and rushed to hospital for treatment in the early morning incident.
A source said the casualties would have been more but for the intervention of medical workers in the centre.
Punch Metro gathered that more than 100 inmates were in the cell at the time of the incident.
The source stated, “Actually, what happened was that while some inmates were going to the courts this morning (Monday), there was a power surge.
“The surge cut off an electric wire. You know, Nigerian prisons use metal bunk beds. So, the inmates, who were close to the bunk beds, were the major casualties.
“The five deceased inmates were the closest to the bunk beds and that was why they did not survive it.
“If not for the medical workers in the prison, many more inmates would have died. The prison authorities called the power company and power was disconnected. The officers also offered first aid, which reduced the number of casualties.”
Punch correspondent gathered that the matter had been reported to the authorities in Abuja and a delegation had visited the centre for an on-the-spot assessment.
The spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, Francis Enobore, confirmed the incident.
Enobore, in a statement he issued on behalf of the Controller General of the NCS, Ja’afaru Ahmed, described the incident as “tragic and most ill-fated.”
Aregbesola has ordered a probe of the incident and directed that steps should be taken to prevent future incidents.
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