Residents of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory have recounted the traumatic incident that happened at the correctional facility on Tuesday night.
According to some who spoke to ait.live, they began hearing sounds of gun shots and heavy shelling from about 10pm which continued for more than two hours
The residents who were gripped with fear say they locked themselves in their homes, praying and hoping for security to take control of the situation
They said they called their neighbors and especially those living in estates close to the prison facility in desperate search for information on what really was going on, until they found out that it was a case of armed siege on the Kuje Correctional facility
The facility houses over 3,000 inmates, including suspected terrorists. Several of them are said to have escaped.
A prison official who did not want to be named confirmed that the terrorists were well armed and overpowered the security at the facility. “They came to free their members” he said.
Apart from armed operatives of the NCS, the Kuje facility also has the presence of the army. There are military posts at the entry point to the facility from the Airport road expressway and along the road leading into Kuje itself
At the time of filing the report, ait.live observed the area has been beefed up with heavy presence of army personnel at the facility
There were also blood stains on the gate of the facility and the floor.
Officials told ait.live that some of the escaped inmates have returned with claims that the terrorists even gave them money to run away but they chose to return
Authorities of the facility are still taking stock of the numbers and the identities of those that have escaped.
Editor Paul Akhagbemhe
