421 convicts who escaped the Kuje, Abuja, detention facility have been recaptured by the Nigerian Correctional Service, but 454 remain at large, according to the House of Representatives Committee on Correctional Service.
This comes right after the committee claimed to have called the Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola, and the NCoS Comptroller-General, Haliru Nababa, to testify before it about the recent terrorist attack on the Kuje Custodial Center. The Nigerian Army Platoon Commander who was on duty the night of the incident was also invited by the committee.
Edwin Anayo, the chairman of the committee on Correctional Service, revealed this during a Thursday monitoring visit to the facility during which the lawmakers saw 115 detainees. On Tuesday of last week, after militants of the Islamic for West Africa Province attacked the facility, the inmates—among them 69 suspected members of Boko Haram—had managed to escape from Kuje Medium Custodial Centre.
Anayo bemoaned the recent attacks on 12 additional Custodial Centers across the nation. He added it is concerning that recent armed jailbreaks have resulted in the release of prisoners. According to Anayo, they have summoned the CG and the minister in charge of this agency to the National Assembly so they can lay out the situation for the world and Nigerians. He further stated that they are uncomfortable with the recent instances of jailbreaks. About 10 to 12 attacks on detention facilities have occurred. “In Abuja, nobody walks freely now because of this incident. We have to interact and know the problem, and how we can solve them. “We have to know your challenges and how to tackle them. The committee is eager to know what transpired here. The reaction of the security agencies.”
They will also invite the commander of the guard (CG) and his team, as well as the minister, in order to learn more about what happened on the day the incident occurred.
