DCP Abba Kyari in Our Custody', Official Reacts to Report of Escape After Terrorist Attack on Kuje Prison
- The reports that the suspended deputy inspector general of police, Abba Kyari has escaped from Kuje prison have been debunked
- A spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, Umar Abubakar described the reports as fake and misleading
- Abubakar said Kyari is in the custody of the NCS and contrary to the reports, the suspended DCP is hale and hearty
The Nigerian Correctional Service has debunked reports that the suspended deputy commissioner of police, Abba Kyari, escaped during the Tuesday, July 5, terrorists' attack on Kuje Prison in the Federal Capital Territory.
Shortly after the late-night attack on one of Nigeria's top prison facilities, reports filtered into the media space that some top prisoners including Kyari managed to escape during the attack.
Source: UGC
However speaking to Legit.ng, the spokesperson for the NCS, Umar Abubakar said the report is misleading.
He added that the suspended police officer who is facing charges for drug trafficking among others is hale and hearty.
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Abubakar said:
"That is not true, Abba Kyari is hale and hearty and he is still in our custody."
Established in 1989, the Kuje Prison has a minimum and maximum holding cells where inmates are incarcerated
It is famous for holding high-profile inmates and suspects, including former governors, senators, business executives, and ministers.
However, on Tuesday, July 5, some yet-to-be-identified gunmen launched an attack on the facility freeing several inmates.
The attack which lasted for hours - from about 10 pm - with incessant gunshots and explosions was resisted by military personnel and prison guards on duty.
Ministry of Interior react to Kuje prison attack
Speaking while conducting an assessment of the facility after the attack, the permanent secretary of the ministry of interior, Shuaibu Belgore, confirmed that 600 inmates had escaped from the facility.
Belgore however, noted that over 300 of the inmates who escaped during the attack have been captured and more will be apprehended.
He added that the attackers are suspected to be members of the Boko Haram terrorist group who had the intention of rescuing their co-conspirators.
Stating that one person was killed and many others injured during the attack, Belgore called for calm across the Kuje environs and the Federal Capital Territory as a whole.
Terrorists attack President Buhari's convoy
The Kuje prison attack occured on the same day that some terrorists attacked the convoy of President Muhammadu Buhari in Katsina state.
The attack by the terrorists caused fear among members of the area including a resident who said that they hid in the bush during the attack.
According to the resident they were in the bush until a long stretch of military troops arrived to clear the area.
Source: Legit.ng
