逃走した７２１人のうち３５人は警察に拘束されたが、他の脱走者の行方は依然追跡中だという。
同刑務所の受刑者総数は伝えられていない。
襲ったのは「ボコ・ハラム」（教育は罪）と名乗るイスラム武装勢力の約２００人で、大規模な銃撃戦も起きた。刑務所には同組織の構成員８０人が投獄されており、奪還を狙った襲撃ともみられる。
ボコ・ハラムはイスラム教徒が多いナイジェリア北部でシャリア（イスラム法）に基づく統治を求め、政府と対立している。(CNN.co.jpより引用→http://bit.ly/bAxcOC )
Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) -- Authorities were searching for more than 680 inmates Wednesday who escaped after gunmen attacked a prison in northern Nigeria, police said.
The prison was attacked by suspected members of an Islamist sect called Boko Haram on Tuesday.
One police officer was killed and two prison officials were injured, police said.
The group freed 721 inmates, said Emmanuel Ojukwu, a police spokesman.
Police captured 35 of the escapees and were searching for the others, Ojukwu said.
About 200 members of the Boko Haram sect attacked the prison, triggering a massive gunbattle, according to authorities.
Police suspect the prison was attacked because it was holding 80 members of the sect.
Boko Haram has been at odds with Nigerian officials because the group wants the government to impose Islamic law, known as sharia, in the entire Muslim-dominated northern half of Nigeria.（from CNN.com→http://bit.ly/dxveCm ）