Kuje prison attack: Military commences investigation, summons soldiers

Military authorities have commenced investigation into the alleged negligence of its personnel during the attack on the Kuje Medium Custodial Centre in the Federal Capital Territory, Saturday PUNCH had learnt.

Members of the Islamic States of West African Province had attacked the custodial centre on July 6, leading to the death of three terrorists, an official of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and four inmates.

Also during the attack, 879 inmates, including 69 terrorists were freed, while a total of 443 were recaptured.

An officer of the Nigerian Correctional Centre had told our correspondent that the attack was successful because soldiers were newly deployed to the prison facility.

The officer said, ‘’I think why the attack was successful was because they just brought new military personnel and they are yet to settle down. Also, our men didn’t quickly get the reinforcement needed to repel them; it was after they left that we started receiving help.”

Besides this, a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, accused the military of being complicit in the attack, a claim the military high command swiftly denied.

However, a source told our correspondent on Friday that soldiers on duty on the day of the invasion had been invited for questioning.

The source said no one would be spared if found culpable.

The source said, “An investigation has commenced to truly understand what happened. It not just because of the allegations against our soldiers after the attack that has made us to do this, this is what we do when we find ourselves in a situation like this when we have our men involved.

“Those on the duty that day have been invited for questioning. The military is a well discipline organisation, if anyone is found culpable after the investigation, they would be court-martialed.”

The Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Guards Brigade Abuja, Captain Godfrey Abakpa, confirmed that investigation had just commenced into the matter.

Police rearrest escapee

Meanwhile, the Katsina State Police Command on Friday said its operatives had arrested one of the inmates who escaped from the recent Kuje prison jailbreak.

According to the police, the 33-year-old escapee, Kamal Abubakar, was re-arrested on Thursday evening in Danmusa Local Government Area of the state, during a raid on suspected criminal hideouts in the council.

The spokesman for the Command, SP Gambo Isah, made the revelation during a press briefing at the command’s headquarters, Katsina.