President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday visited the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kuje attacked by terrorists in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The President spent about 30 minutes at the facility.
Soon after he arrived, he was briefed about the attack by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaib Mohammad Lamido Belgore and the Controller-General of Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, showing him the bombed-out section used to access first, and the records office which was set on fire, adding that the invaders thereafter launched an attack on all cells in which Boko Haram terrorists were held.
The President was informed that, at the end of the attack, none of the 63 Boko Haram terrorists are accounted for, but it was emphasised that records are not lost because they have been backed up.
President Buhari, who, like most Nigerians was shocked by both the scale and audacity of the attack queried: “How did the defences at the prison fail to prevent the attack? How many inmates were in the facility? How many of them can you account for? How many personnel did you have on duty? How many of them were armed? Were there guards on the watchtower? What did they do? Does the CCTV work?” Question after question.
The President was also informed that the security forces have recaptured 350 of the escapees while about 450 others are still unaccounted for, and that rapid work is under way to recapture the rest.
After inspecting some of the points impacted by the deadly attack, President Buhari spoke to newsmen, expressing disappointment with the intelligence system (and utilisation).
Also read: Kuje Prison Attack: Residents recount ordeal
He said “I am disappointed with the intelligence system. How can terrorists organize, have weapons, attack a security installation and get away with it?”
The President, accompanied by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and his Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, said at the end of the visit that he is expecting “a comprehensive report” on the incident.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has reacted to mounting criticism of President Buhari’s trip to Dakar, Senegal stressing that Governments do not stop working because nations face terrorist threats.
The Presidency noted that to cancel the trip to Senegal would mean that the terrorists are successful in calling the shots, something that no responsible government in the world will allow.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
