•NSA, Security Chief visit Kuje prison
•One Dead , many Injured
•Heavy security presence in Kuje communities
CONTROLVERSY has surrounded the whereabouts of suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, after bandits attacked Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, where he was kept.
The PUNCH had reported that gunmen attacked the Custodial Centre in the Kuje area council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Tuesday night.
During the attack which lasted hours, some inmates were said to have escaped.
The Kuje prison is famous for holding high-profile inmates and suspects, including former governors and ministers.
According to officials, the facility houses over 900 inmates.
“We have not seen him today. He didn’t also come for Subhi (early morning) prayer as usual. But I don’t know what is happening,” a source in the prison told our correspondent.
Another official, who preferred anonymity, said that the whereabouts of Kyari remained unknown to him as of 09.30am.
“I am sure he is not missing and he didn’t escape. But I don’t know where exactly he is,” the official said.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, Umar Abubakar, said “Kyari is not missing”.
Abubakar also noted that Kyari has not been moved from the Kuje prison.
“He is still in our custody. Nothing happened to him. He has not been moved,” he told The PUNCH on the telephone.
Abubakar in a statement in the early hours of Wednesday said the armed squad of the service in collaboration with other security agencies responded to the attack.
The statement was titled, “Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje attacked by gunmen.”
It read, “I wish to confirm that at about 2200hrs, some yet-to-be-identified gunmen attacked the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, in the Federal Capital Territory.
“However, men of the Armed Squad of the Nigerian Correctional Service and other security agencies attached to the Custodial Centre have responded and calm has been restored to the facility and the situation is under control.
“Other details will be made available soon.”
During a visit to the facility, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Mr Shuaibu Belgore, also confirmed that about 600 inmates escaped from the Kuje Correctional Centre following Tuesday evening’s attack.
Belgore explained that over 300 of the inmates have been retrieved.
He suspected that the gunmen attacked the facility to rescue their terrorism co-conspirators.
The official added that one person died and three others were injured during the attack.
Over 600 inmates escape from Kuje prison
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr Shuaib Belgore, has said over 600 of the inmates fled the prisons when it came under attack late Tuesday night.
Belgore stated that those behind the attack were Boko Haram terrorists who came specifically for their members held in the custody.
He, however, said about 300 had been recaptured, while 300 were still at large.
Speaking while addressing journalists, he also said an operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps was killed during the attack.
He said, “There have been several attacks on our facilities most of them are being repelled, but every now and then, there is one that they have succeeded. In this is one they came very determined with high explosives.
“The initial entry attempt was unsuccessful, then they attacked another section of the wall with higher grade explosives which brought the wall down.
“The forces on the ground did everything they could to repel them but the number they came with was high which they were not able to defend against. They kept on fighting gallantly unfortunately the breach happened. Reinforcement came when they were halfway through it. They were eventually repelled.
“At the time they came in they killed one NSCDC operative while trying to save the situation. The inmates here are 994.
“We understand they are Boko Haram terrorists and came specifically came for their conspirators. Many of them have returned, some were retrieved from the bushes they were hiding, right now we have retrieved about 300 out of about 600 that got out of the jail.”
Attackers burn vehicles, pull down wall at Kuje prison
No fewer than seven vehicles belonging to the Nigerian Correctional Service were razed by explosives detonated by the terrorists who attacked the Kuje Custodial Centre.
Also, a wall of the prison was pulled down with explosives.
The centre had come under attack from terrorists on Tuesday night.
The PUNCH had reported that no fewer than 600 inmates escaped from the centre in the course of the attack.
About 300 have been recaptured.
Both the air component of the Nigerian Police Force, the Armed Squad of the Nigerian Correctional Service, the military and the Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps, vigilantes group are combing nearby bushes to recapture others.
Justify security spending, CSOs tell FG
The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations in Katsina State on Wednesday asks the Federal Government to justify the money being spent on security by ensuring the safety of lives and property of Nigerians.
The coalition made the demand while reacting to Tuesday’s death of the Dutsinma Area Commander, ACP Aminu Umar, in a gun duel with terrorists.
The coalition in a statement by its Katsina Chairman, Abdulrahman Abdullahi, lamented the death of the Police Area Commander, insisting that the incident speaks volumes of inadequacies in Nigeria’s security system.
The statement read, “It is disturbing that government’s inability to provide our security men with working tools and chase bandits to their enclaves is continually resulting in loss of gallantry Officers like ACP Aminu Umar and other innocent Nigerians.
“The bandits are gradually becoming stronger and bold by the day. The fight should be taken to their enclaves using land and air forces. But unfortunately, the airforce and army are not striking with the needed force. You will see fighter jets flying in the sky but when you ask for casualties you can’t see any. Bandits are attacking innocent people a few miles away from military bases but no intervention.
” Money is spent on a daily basis for security but the situation is worsening every day. It is high time the President and the National Assembly should begin to query why there is no commensurate results to security investment. This senseless killing must stop.”
Meanwhile, Katsina Police Commissioner, Idris Dauda, on Wednesday led the top management team of the state police command to Kurfi town for the burial of ACP Aminu Umar who was ambushed and killed by terrorists in Safana Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday.
The solemn Islamic burial was also attended by top police officers as well as the rank and file who were majorly from the Katsina command.
The Spokesman for the Command, Gambo Isah, said the Area Commander was killed along with an unnamed officer in the line of duty.
He said, “On Tuesday, 06, July 2022 at about 11.30 a.m, a distress call was received that terrorists numbering over three hundred (300), on motorcycles, shooting sporadically with AK 47 rifles and General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), ambushed ACP Aminu Umar, Area Commander, Dutsinma and team, while on clearance operation of recalcitrant bandits/terrorists, in Zakka forest, Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State.
“Consequently, the Area Commander and one other gallantly lost their lives during a cross-exchange of gunfire.”
Nigerians must act – AAC
The African Action Congress has said that Nigerians need to act to save the country from the myriads of insecurity that is rocking it persistently.
The Publicity Secretary of the party, Adeyeye Olorunfemi, stated this in a statement issued Wednesday, condemning the recent attacks on the presidential advance security team, and on the Kuje Correctional Centre, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The PUNCH reported that suspected terrorists, Tuesday night, near Dutsinma, Katsina State, ambushed the convoy of cars conveying the Presidency’s advance team of security guards, protocol, and media officers, killing two policemen in the process.
Reacting in the statement, Adeyeye said, “It is now crystal clear that the only answer to having lasting peace, justice, and equity is for all oppressed people of Nigeria is to rise and smash this failed system that is symptomatic of bad governance, mass corruption, and gross impunity.
“Our country space was greeted again with very unfortunate events yesterday. Nigerians have once again been reminded that nowhere is safe. The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) regime has failed woefully in all areas.
He added that it had become trite that state institutions were now easily subdued by terrorists, saying Nigerians were still mourning the Owo massacre, the Abuja-Kaduna train attack, and many more tragic events with scores still in the captivity of terrorists.
“No one takes seriously the shameless statements of the regime’s publicity secretaries, Garba Shehu and Femi Adesina. Action is what is needed!” He said.
“Our party, the AAC is expressly clear that the solution to the tragic situations in Nigeria is revolution. The only other option is the continuation of the wars we are witnessing. It is the ruling class that is the cause of the war, we need all youths and the working class to come together and clean the Augean stable in classical clinical mass actions that would advance the #ENDSARS experience. The time to do the very needful is now!
“Nigerians must not fold their arms and watch till we all are swept out. We must rise at this time to condemn this act and pressurise failed President Buhari to resign, while we set radical standards on the political, economic growth, and development of the country! We can’t continue like this,” the statement concluded.
The PUNCH reported that about 50 victims of the Kaduna-Train attack on March 28, 2022, are still in detention, with their families and negotiators expressing fears for their safety.
It is also on record that there was a terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church on June 5, 2022, leaving scores dead, with the perpetrators yet to be arrested.
In what looked like very daring guts, suspected terrorists had now descended on a presidential convoy, and a prison located in the country’s capital.
NSA, Security Chiefs visit Kuje prison
The National Security Adviser NSA, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Monguno has led a team of security officials on an inspection of the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, Abuja which was attacked by terrorists on Tuesday night.
The security chiefs are currently within the facility.
Vanguard Reported earlier that defence, security and intelligence personnel have taken over the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre following Tuesday night’s terrorist attack on the facility.
A complement of personnel of the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services and the armed squad of the Nigerian Correctional Service NCoS had before now provided security at the facility, like most, in the country.
However, following the bomb attack on the facility, there is a heightened security presence in the area.
One Dead, Three Injured In Kuje Prison Attack
At least one person has died, with three others injured in an attack on the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
On Tuesday evening, explosions and gunshots were heard from the direction of the correctional centre, a situation that forced pandemonium among residents of the Kuje area.
Barely 24 hours after the incident, the Federal Government said suspected Boko Haram terrorists stormed the facility to rescue their members.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Mister Shuaibu Belgore, stated this on Wednesday during a visit to the facility.
He explained that over 300 of the inmates have been retrieved and more are on the way, adding that about 600 prison inmates fled in the attack last night.
Although the police authorities have yet to issue a formal statement on the matter, a spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, AD Umar, said normalcy had been restored after security agencies intervened.
“I wish to confirm that about 2200hrs, some yet-to-be-identified gunmen attacked the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje in the Federal Capital Territory,” Umar said.
“However, men of the Armed Squad of the Nigerian Correctional Service and other security agencies attached to the Custodial centre have responded and calm has been restored to the facility and the situation is under control.”
This is not the first time gunmen will attack correctional centres in the country, releasing inmates while killing some security officials.
During an attack on the Owerri prison in Imo State on April 4, 2023, gunmen had freed 1,844 prisoners after using explosives to gain entry into the facility.
The attackers made their way into the Owerri prison in Imo state, engaging guards in a gun battle before storming the prison.
Heavy security presence in Kuje communities
Security has been tightened in most parts of Kuje communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following sporadic gunshots and bomb blast reportedly heard at the Kuje Correctional Centre on Tuesday night.
Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria who went round the area, observed heavy security presence with fierce-looking armed personnel in areas considered as flash points.
NAN reports that armoured tanks have been positioned around Kuje Prison junction, while various teams of security personnel in siren-blaring vehicles patrol the area.
The Police, in conjunction with other security operatives, have cordoned off the roads leading to the prison area and movements have been restricted in the area.
Police helicopters were seen flying above the area as banks and some schools remained closed due to the tension in the area.
Other security agents are also on red alert to forestall any breach of peace.
Residents leaving close to the area told NAN that the heavy gunshots which started at about 10.p.m. lasted close to an hour.
They said it was not clear who the gunmen were but it was believed they were some criminal elements.
