Terrorists Attacking Prisons Must Not Live to Tell the Story, Vows FG

•Again, orders security personnel to shoot-on-sight 

•Says prison guards must shoot to kill

•Urges them to aim at the head of terrorists not their legs

Kingsley Nwezeh and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

Against the backdrop of the Kuje Prison attack by terrorists in Abuja, that led to the escape of 600 inmates including 40 members of terror group, Boko Haram, the federal government yesterday vowed that terrorists, who attack prisons in any part of the country must not live to tell the story.

It restated its shoot-on-sight order to the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who gave the order, also warned against posting of lily-livered personnel to custodial facilities, saying only sharp shooters, who are trained to aim at the heads of criminals should be deployed to such centres.

He said the goal of the administration of criminal justice would have been defeated and money spent on arrests, investigations, trials and prosecution wasted if inmates were allowed to escape.

It vowed that those who attack custodial centres must never live to tell the story.

Following the directives, the government also inaugurated a command and control room for real time monitoring of selected custodial centres across the country.

Aregbesola said: “As far as I am concerned, whoever attempts to attack our facilities, whoever dares should not live to tell the story.

“That is how best I can say it. Whoever attacks our custodial facility should be made to return to his maker”, he said.

“I have said it before and I will say it again that all our facilities are red zones. Rifles are for criminals, not for hunting antelopes. You don’t need any order. Don’t wait for any order.

“Anybody that comes to attack our custodial facilities which are the end or finishing line of administration of criminal justice, take them out. Our facilities should be inviolable and any intruder must be made to pay a huge price.

“Inmates now know that they cannot escape by themselves. They gave criminals outside who want to help them to escape.”

He maintained that, “any officer that is too lily livered, that cannot shoot to kill, that cannot aim the head of a criminal, should be trained correctly.

“Train them to shoot the head of invaders, not legs. Whoever is not bold enough to shoot to kill, don’t take them to custodial centres, except maybe the female section.”

The minister also commissioned a block of barracks for junior officers and 40 operational vehicles, and gave awards to 25 personnel of a Kagara custodial facility in Niger State, where the personnel repelled an invasion by bandits.