Kuje prison attackers had superior weapons, says FG

Muhammad Dingyadi, minister of police affairs, says the gunmen who attacked the correctional facility in Kuje council area of the federal capital territory (FCT), came with superior weapons.

The correctional facility was attacked on Tuesday night and many inmates — including “all Boko Haram suspects” — escaped.

One of the soldiers at the scene had earlier told TheCable that their guns were no match for those of the attackers. 

Speaking with journalists on Friday after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, Dingyadi said the gunmen came in numbers that nobody anticipated. 

The minister said those on duty at the facility tried their best but were overpowered, adding that some of the attackers were killed.

“I want to assure you that all those who were supposed to play a role in ensuring that the attack was neutralised did the best that they could to neutralise it,” he said.

“I think what helped them was the number of people they came with and the superior weapons that they came with. And because nobody anticipated it, the few people who were there guarding the place could not withstand the number that they came with. I think that was what happened.

“Mr. President was deeply concerned about these developments, and he initiated this meeting to enable security agencies, the service chiefs, inspector-general of police, to brief the council on what actually happened and the way forward.

“We had a very successful meeting and the council has agreed to take proactive measures that will ensure that repeat of what happened these few days would not be witnessed anymore.”

The minister also said the president is surprised that what happened in Kuje actually took place “in spite of all the security arrangements that have been made to ensure that such an incident does not happen”.

Earlier, the president had expressed his disappointment with the intelligence system over the attack. 

Dingyadi, while assuring Nigerians, said the service chiefs have been given clear directives to ensure that adequate measures are taken, not only to investigate what happened, but also to take steps to forestall the recurrence of such incidents.

“We call on Nigerians to continue to support the federal government in its effort to ensure that we fight criminalities to the finish, and to ensure that this country is brought back to normalcy in a more secure and a more peaceful atmosphere,” he added.