Hours after aides of President Muhammadu Buhari ran into an ambush in his home state of Katsina another security breach was recorded in the federal capital territory. Gunmen launched a vicious attack on Kuje correctional centre, a maximum security prison facility in the FCT. The attack was said to have lasted about 30 minutes, during which time the assailants used guns and explosives.
At the end of the attack, a side of the high wall was brought down with explosives and 600 out of the 994 inmates were led out of the correctional centre.
Shuaib Belgore, permanent secretary of the ministry of interior said security personnel fought gallantly to repel the attack but were initially out-numbered by the assailants. Security lost one of their men to the assault. He was a personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC. It has not been immediately determined how many of the assailants were gunned down. But they were overpowered when reinforcement came for the security.
According to Belgore, the security personnel on ground had fought off the initial attack until they had to call for reinforcement because the number of the assailants was overwhelming.
The government said the assailants were operatives of Boko Haram, the dreaded terror gang. It is believed that they launched the attack in order to secure the freedom of their men in the facility.
However, Belgore said 300 of the escapees had been retaken by the security, while the security had launched a manhunt for the others. It is however, not clear if Boko Haram operatives are among the inmates retaken by the authorities.
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