Kuje Attack: FG, House Confirm 888 Inmates Escaped, 64 Terror Suspects

Udora Orizu in Abuja

The Ministry of Interior and the House of Representatives security committees have disclosed that a total of 888 inmates, 64 of which were terror suspects, escaped from the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), Kuje, Abuja on July 5, following a terrorist attack.

The lawmakers and the minister, Rauf Aregbesola, made this known while briefing journalists on the attack before going into executive session.

Following the attack, the House had in July moved a motion calling for a probe, and it mandated its committees on army, police, reformatory, navy, intelligence, and defence to look into matter in order to prevent a reoccurrence.

The joint committee was also mandated to identify the extent to which appropriate authorities within the national security sector played their roles in responding to the prison attack, as well as establish the extent of damage to the facility, including the exact number of escapees and casualty recorded.

At the investigative hearing, Chairman of the Joint Committee, Hon. Shaaban Sharada, frowned on the absence of all the service chiefs, whom he said had been invited thrice but failed to show up.

While Minister of Defence was represented, Minister of Police Affairs, Chief of Defence Staff, Army Chief, Chief of Naval Staff, and Defence Intelligence Agency were absent.

Sharada lamented that the attack, which lasted several hours, did not record any formidable resistance from the security personnel deployed to the facility, neither was there adequate response from the security agencies in the Federal Capital Territory.

He said the situation was disturbing and embarrassing, and also raised serious concerns about the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire national security architecture.

However, Sharada assured Nigerians that members of his committee would not spare anything in order to trace the circumstances that led to the ugly incident and also ensure the monitoring of measures put in place to protect lives and property of residents in the FCT and those of all Nigerians.

During the hearing, insightful briefings were received from Directors General of the Department of State Services, National Intelligence Agency, and Comptroller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

Further briefs were given by the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Immigration Service. Also in attendance were the representatives of the National Security Adviser and the National Park Service.

Corroborating the chairman’s stance on the number of inmates that escaped, Aregbesola narrated that on the day of the invasion, 31 military personnel of the Nigerian Army, 5 personnel of MPOL 21, five personnel of MOPOL 50, two personnel of counter terrorism unit of the Nigeria Police, two personnel of Kuje police division, seven personnel of Nigeria Immigration, three personnel of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, 10 personnel of correctional armed squad were there for specific responsibility of resisting and preventing any attack

Aregbesola said 106 inmates refused to leave the facility during the attack, while 28 inmates who left the facility voluntarily returned between the 6th and 15th of July.

The minister, while noting that the general state of insecurity in the country called for serious concern, however, blamed it on previous governments, saying this present administration inherited the challenges.

He stated, “In spite of determined and sustained efforts of the government to curb the menace, there is a deliberate and determined attempt by those who are bent on criminal activities to erode the gains made in the last few years. Partially, all the security challenges we have are inherited. None was caused or created by this administration.

“If you recall, the country has suffered serious internal security challenges as a result of farmers herders conflict, especially, in the North-central geopolitical zone and in the north western geopolitical zones. We have kidnapping for ransom, Boko Haram, cultism, ENDSARs, violent extremism, separatist agitations.

“On the 5th of July around 10pm, a huge number of elements that I believe to be terrorists of a particularly brand came in large numbers to attack our facility.

“In that facility, on that day, we had 31 military personnel stationed in Kuje to protect the facility. On the day of the invasion, there were 31 military personnel of the Nigerian Army, five personnel of MOPOL 21, five personnel of MOPOL 50, two personnel of counter terrorism unit of Nigeria Police, two personnel of Kuje police division, seven personnel of Nigeria Immigration, three personnel of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, 10 personnel of correctional armed squad.

“These 65 people were there for specific responsibility of resisting and preventing any attack. And they were all armed. Because of the presence of the pressmen here, I would not tell you the grades of arsenals in their possession, but they were well armed.

“If we had a more exclusive arrangement, I would give you specific grades of equipment, military arsenals. Arsenals that were positioned for the defence of the facility, however, in spite of everything, our arrangement of protection of Kuje failed. And the facility was breached.

“On the night of the attack, Kuje accommodated 994 inmates out of which 64 were terror suspects, Boko Haram, ISWAP and others. 888 inmates escaped during the attack, among them were 554 awaiting trial persons. 71 were convicts, 36 were on death row and 17 were on life imprisonment.”