Kuje prison attack: Officers arrested for helping terrorists – Report
At least two officers of the Nigerian Police Force have been arrested in connection with the attack on Kuje Prison in Abuja.
Recall that daredevil terrorists stormed the penitentiary on Tuesday night with heavy ammunition, dislodged security operatives and set free over 800 inmates, including all the Boko Haram suspects in detention.
Nigerians were taken aback by the attack as it marked a new and unprecedented low in the perennial insecurity crisis that plagues the nation.
When he visited the scene on Wednesday, President Muhammadu Buhari expressed disappointment with the intelligence gathering system.
“I am disappointed with the intelligence system. How can terrorists organise, have weapons, attack a security installation and get away with it? 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?” Buhari had asked.
Hours after Buhari left Kuje, the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) claimed responsibility for the attack.
In a footage on Wednesday night, the terrorist sect showed some of its men shooting their way into the facility.
Tens of fighters were seen marching in groups while vehicles and building were on fire in the 38 seconds video.
The Islamic State’s A’maq Agency released the video with the caption: “Fighters of Islamic State attacked Kuje prison in Abuja yesterday and succeeded in freeing dozens of prisoners.”
However, Daily Trust is reporting that the terrorists were able to carry out the attack in cahoots with security operatives.
According to the media outlet, two police officers were apprehended after their communication with some of the escapees was intercepted.
“Two of the terrorists that escaped called a police investigation officer (IPO) in one of our stations and spoke to him in a compromising manner…They are now being investigated to know their level of complicity,” the newspaper quoted a source familiar with the development as saying.
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