Nigerian militants in jail raid

By Alex Last
BBC News, Lagos

Violence in Nigeria's oil region has been growing ahead of elections

About 50 members of a militant group have stormed through the Nigerian city of Port Harcourt and sprung a gang leader from jail, the group says.

Sobomabo George was described by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta as a senior leader.

Eyewitnesses said the gang, armed with machine guns, stormed through eastern Port Harcourt and raided the police station where he was being held.

Officials said one passer-by was killed in the assault.

This was a dramatic illustration of the Niger Delta's insecurity with Nigerian elections just months away.

The trouble began with the arrest of Sobomabo George, a gang leader with militant connections. He controls a gang called The Outlaws, one of many such groups operating in the Niger Delta.

Political links

Sobomabo George had been living in Port Harcourt, despite breaking out of jail last year, where he had been held awaiting trial for murder.

Within hours of his re-arrest, at least 50 gunmen were out on the streets armed with machine guns and assault rifles.

Gunfire erupted as they made their way towards the police station where he was being held.

Some reports say the security forces deployed helicopters and armoured personnel carriers to engage the group, though witnesses on the ground said police and soldiers eventually fled as the gunmen approached.

The government is yet to comment on the incident.

Violence in Nigeria's oil producing region has been growing ahead of April's elections.

Many of the armed groups in the Delta have links to politicians who have used them in the past to help secure victory at the polls.