Investigations in the terrorist attack at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre have continued as the Nigerian Army has detained the soldiers on duty on that fateful day for questioning.
Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists invaded into Kuje prison in Abuja on July 5 and freed hundreds of inmates, including 64 Boko Haram members.
The military, the intelligence services and the Nigerian Correctional Services have been under pressure because of the security failures to prevent the attack and/or repel the terrorists when they launched.
Sources said that the military personnel in detention are currently being interrogated by a Board of Inquiry (BOI) to ascertain any dereliction of duty or possible connivance which may have led to the easy manner with which the terrorists invaded the prison and freed their comrades without any resistance form the defence and security forces deployed in the centre.
An angry President Muhamamadu Buhari, during his visit to the prison in wake of the invasion and sack of the prison, had called for “a comprehensive report” on the incident.
Expressing disappointment with the collapsed intelligence in the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, President Buhari noted: “I am disappointed with the intelligence system. How can terrorists organise, have weapons, attack a security installation and get away with it?
“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?” He had reeled out question after question.
The military authorities came under attack as it was reported that soldiers guarding the facility were withdrawn 24 hours before the attack.
Observers have also alleged internal compromise and called for an investigation.
Clearly, the security personnel on duty that day did not put up any resistance when the terrorists struck, and that the only bullet shells found in the prison premises were those fired by the invaders – meaning that the military, police, DSS, Civil Defence and armed prison guards did not fight the invaders.
Military sources told LEADERSHIP Weekend that an officer and the soldiers have been held in an underground cell at the special military detention facility in Abuja.
When contacted the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Guards Brigade, Captain Godfrey Abakpa, said the soldiers were not arrested but invited as part of the investigation.
He said federal government had told the Guards Brigade and other security agencies to launch an investigation to unravel circumstances surrounding the incident.
“There is no arrest. If the investigation has not been concluded, there cannot be an arrest, otherwise how do you get the facts?
“There is no arrest, there is an investigation ongoing and the essence of this is to get the details of what happened before, during and after the attack.
“ If anyone is at the SIB, it is based on the ongoing investigation. It is expected to see the movement of those who are involved, that does not mean they have been arrested.”
