Buhari Visits Kuje Prison, Says ‘ I’m Disappointed With Intelligence Gathering System’

*Wonders why prison defences failed to work

*Requests for comprehensive report on the incident

*Presidency explains why Buhari didn’t suspend trip to Dakar

Deji Elumoye

President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday queried the intelligence gathering system at the Medium Security Custodial Centre on Kuje, Abuja which was attacked on Tuesday night by scores of armed terrorists. 

The President who spent 30 minutes to assess the extent of damage at the Correctional Centre wondered why prison defences failed to work and immediately requested for a comprehensive report on the incident.

President Buhari, who, like most Nigerians was shocked by both the scale and audacity of the attack queried: “How did the defences at the prison fail to prevent the attack? How many inmates were in the facility? How many of them can you account for? How many personnel did you have on duty? How many of them were armed? Were there guards on the watchtower? What did they do? Does the CCTV work?”

After inspecting some of the points impacted by the attack, the President spoke to newsmen, expressing disappointment with the intelligence system (and utilization).

“I am disappointed with the intelligence system. How can terrorists organize, have weapons, attack a security installation and get away with it?”

The President, accompanied by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and his Chief of Staff, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, said at the end of the visit that he is expecting “a comprehensive report” on the incident.

Earlier on arrival, President Buhari was briefed about the attack by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaib Mohammad Lamido Belgore and the Controller General of Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, showing him the bombed section used to access first, and the records office which was set on fire, adding that the invaders thereafter launched an attack on all cells in which Boko Haram terrorists were held.

The President was told that at the end of the atrack none of the 63 terrorists are accounted for, but it was emphasized that records are not lost because they have been backed up.

President Buhari was also informed that the security forces have recaptured 350 of the escapees while about 450 others are still unaccounted for, and that rapid work is under way to recapture the rest. 

Meanwhile, The Presidency has reacted to mounting criticism of the trip to Dakar, Senegal by the President on Wednesday.

According to a release by presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, The Presidency stressed that Governments don’t stop working because nations face terrorist threats. 

“To cancel the trip to Senegal would mean that the terrorists are successful in calling the shots, something that no responsible government in the world will allow”, the release stated.