Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi has said all Boko Haram suspects detained in the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, Abuja have escaped.
According to Magashi, there were about 64 Boko Haram suspects in the Kuje prison. He said the prison authority has not been able to account for them.
The Defence Minister said from records, it is likely that the elements that carried out the attack are Boko Haram members.
Magashi revealed that the prison is accommodating about 994 inmates, including the embattled DCP Abba Kyari, who is facing prosecution for alleged fraud.
Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Kyari is not known even as Magashi confirmed that over 600 inmates escaped from the prison.
“Very soon, we will give you the correct figure of the inmates that were taken. Aside from that, we are trying to see what we can do to ensure that all escapees are returned back.
“The prison is accommodating about 994 inmates and over 600 escaped. Many people have been recaptured and brought back to the prison. Maybe by the close of the day, more will have been captured and returned. I think everything is under control.
“The people who came to do this activity, from the records, we believe they belong to a particular group.
“Most likely, they are Boko Haram members because we have sizeable number of Boko Haram suspects in detention, and presently we cannot locate any of them.
“I think they are about 64 in the prison and none of them now is available they have all escaped,” Magashi said.
The remaining inmates of the prison have been relocated, in the wake of the attack. It is unclear if Kyari was relocated along with the remaining inmates.
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Former Plateau Governor Joshua Dariye and his Taraba counterpart Jolly Nyame who had been granted pardon by the National Council of States were also in the facility.
The Federal Government was yet to effect their release as of the time of the attacks.
