A fleeing prisoner, who returned home from the Owerri Correctional Centre which was attacked on Monday has been set abalze, SaharaReporters reports.

He was set ablaze by some apparently angry residents of Umuawom village, Ihodimeze community in Ikeduru council area of Imo State on Wednesday.

According to the Nation, the fleeing prisoner, whose identity could not be ascertained as at press time, was said to have hailed from the nearby Ogwa community in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State but grew up in Umuawom village, which is his maternal home.

He was said to have been involved in a kidnap activity that involved one of the families in Umuawom village but was eventually apprehended and remanded in custody for over one year.

However, when he escaped from the Correctional Centre on Monday, he was said to have gone straight to one of the families that testified against him and threatened to deal with them.

It was gathered he attempted to carry out his threat by attacking a member of the family in Umuawom village with a gun.

Village sources told The Nation that his daring move prompted villagers to pounce on him and immediately set him ablaze.

Spokesman for the Police Command, Orlando Ikeokwu, said he had heard about the incident but could not officially confirm it.