July 06, (THEWILL) – All the 64 Boko Haram members detained at the Kuje Prison have all escaped, Nigeria’s defence minister, Bashir Magashi, said.
“I think they are about 64 in the prison and none of them now is available; they have all escaped”, he lamented.
Magashi spoke on Wednesday, during an inspection of the facility ferociously attacked by terrorists on Tuesday night.
His words: “The attack started around 10:30 pm. They came in their numbers and gained entrance into the prison and they released some of the inmates and which we are now following to see the kind of inmates that they have released.
“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 a sizable 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.”
Earlier the Ministry of Interior confirmed that about 600 inmates escaped from the Kuje Prison, following Tuesday night attack by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.
Permanent Secretary of the interior Ministry, Shuaibu Belgore said over 300 of the inmates have been re-arrested and more are on the way.
Belgore, who spoke on Wednesday, during a visit to the facility, said the facility was holding 994 inmates before the attack by Boko Haram terrorists.
He said the terrorists attacked the facility to rescue their co-conspirators.
Belgore also added that one person died and three others were injured during the attack.
