President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday expressed disappointment with the intelligence collapse in the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, where terrorists attacked Tuesday, freeing a large number of inmates.
Apparently miffed, Buhari said while fielding questions, “I am disappointed with the intelligence system. How can terrorists organize, have weapons, attack a security installation and get away with it?”
Shocked by both the scale and audacity of the attack, Buhari queried: “How did the defences at the prison fail to prevent the attack? How many inmates were in the facility? How many of them can you account for? How many personnel did you have on duty? How many of them were armed? Were there guards on the watchtower? What did they do? Does the CCTV work?” Question after question.
The President, accompanied by Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, the Chief of Staff, at the end of the visit, directed “a comprehensive report” on the incident.
Earlier on arrival, the President was briefed about the attack by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaib Mohammad Lamido Belgore and the Controller General of Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, who showed the bombed-out section used to access first, and the records office which was set on fire, adding that the invaders had launched an attack on all cells in which Boko Haram terrorists were held.
The President was further appraised of the developments even as officials said none of the 63 terrorists could be accounted for, just as their records were intact and backed up.
A statement signed by Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, further explained that the President was also informed of the rearrest of 350 of the escapees while about 450 others could not be accounted for.
However, a rapid response is underway to recapture the fleeing inmates, Shehu said.
