Nine prisoners at large after Nigerian jail break

Nine prisoners were still on the loose following a jail break in central Nigeria, while five other escapees have been recaptured, the head of the prisons service said on Sunday.

Ja'afaru Ahmed, the controller-general of prisons, said in a statement the incident happened on Saturday at Koton Karfe prison in Kogi state.

"Five pre-trial detainees out of the escapees had been recaptured with the assistance of other security agencies and local vigilante groups," he said.

Ahmed said an inquiry has been launched into the incident.

Jail breaks are commom in Nigeria's underfunded and crowded prisons.