There was panic, on Tuesday night, among residents of Kuje in the Federal Capital Territory following the repeated sounds of gunshots and explosions heard in the area, particularly around the prison.
There were fears among residents that the correctional centre was under attack by armed men.
Residents of the area said that the shootings went on for long, resulting in panic in the area.
Spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, Umar Abubakar, was not available for comments.
Also, efforts to get the police spokesperson in the FCT, Josephine Adeh, proved abortive.
Calls put to Adeh’s line were not answered. She also did not respond to messages sent to her.