According to the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, wardens at the facility let them out as part of a swap deal for the release of travellers kidnapped on March 28 in Kaduna.
According to the source, the freed suspects had been awaiting trial since 2009, and they were aware of the Kuje jailbreak before it occurred.
“They secretly released 101 Boko Haram suspects around 6 am. The negotiations had been going on for several months. We used to pray as a group. They spoke Hausa during prayers and told me they’d be home by October.
“Early (yesterday) Saturday morning, they owned the cell door and called them out. They had returned their properties already. I used to speak with one Adamu in G3 cell. He is no longer here. He is tall and slim and has a long face.
“They told me that their release was based on negotiations and the pressure their sponsors gave Buhari. They felt if they didn’t get released before a new president, who might not be their tribesman, took the seat, they might not be granted amnesty,” the source said.
However, Director of defence information, Major General Jimmy Akpor, told LEADERSHIP in Abuja yesterday that there was no swap deal, adding that elements of national power, both kinetic and non-kinetic, were deployed to secure the release of the train passengers.
Major General Akpor when contacted, said; “Whatever we know we have told you, it was a high powered committee that was set up so whoever is saying that is on his own. Like I told, you the nation is a powerful entity that has so many elements of national power to achieve national objectives.
“There is diplomacy, of course the military is one for kinetic activities, there is economic, even the population is part of the elements of national power. Whatever they want to believe, let them believe, the most important thing is that hostages have been freed.
“Whoever is insinuating anything to the contrary is on his own. The nation has carried out its responsibility towards those that were held captive. Whoever wants to insinuate anything let him do and of what use is that to the nation, of what use is that to the national psyche?”
“According to sources, the inmates allegedly released are:
Muhammad Ridwan
Malam Aji
Muhammad Bukar
Kachala Umara
Tijjani Ibrahim
Abba Hassan
Muhammad Tahir
Abdurrahman Muhammad
Musa Fushimngamdu
Isyaku Haladu
Muhammad Musa
Abubakar Aminami
Muhammad Tahir Mahmud Tchad
Muhammad Muhammad
Abdullahi Adamu
Idriss Abubakar
Adamualkasim
Abdullahi Abubakar
Baffa Ajibukar
Modukime Sale
Alhaji Modugrema
Ahmad Abuzar
Baba Ganawali
Yunusa Ibrahim Sabo
Adam Konto
Muhammad Muktar
Abba Hassan
Muhammad Abba Mamman
Abu Umaru
Ali Usman
Abdullahi Abubakar Mubi
Sale Adamu
Abdulwaheed Ibrahim
Alhaji Abubakar Abubakar
Muhammad Abubakar
Idris Hashim
Abu Barra Abubakar
Baba Ganamodu
Muhammad Ali
Abdullah Abubakar
Muhammad Hilanta
Muhammad Muktar
Abdulwahid Abdulssalam
Adamu Abdullahi
Aliyu Abdullahi
Alkaseem Abdulahi
Husaini Aliyu
Abdullahi Isah
Husaini Yusuf
Yusuf Muhammad Hamisu
Muhammad Yakubu
Salisu Bilyaminu
Bulama Muhammad
Haruna Umaru
Abdullahi Abubakar
Haruna Shitu
Abdusallam Muhammad
Kabiru Ladan
Mansur Muhammad
Abdullah Aliyu
Abdulmummeen Ibrahim
Muhammad Lawan
Haruna Adamu
Kabiru Ibrahim
Umar Abubakar
Nasuru Garba
Hamza Yakubu
Musa Ali
Muhammad Auwal
Nura Abdullah
Sa’adu Abdurrauf
Sulaiman Jibirin
Yakubu Bello
Adamu Saidu
Muhammad Jidda
Abubakar Na Tuka
Abba Hassan
Maji Umaru
Umaru Adamu Subari
Ibrahim Abba
Muhammad Nur Hassan
Baba Gana Musa
Muhammad Yusuf
Sadiq Buba
Adamu Musa
Mustafa Yahya
Muhammad Muktar
Umara Tijjani
Umar Brema
Suleiman Adamu
Muhammad Muazu
Kabiru Aminu
Siraja Abdullah
Husaini Abdullah
Hamisu Abdullah
Aliyu Abubakar
Isa Ahmad
Alhaji Kambar
Auwal Mati
Bashiru Hamisu
Ahmad Yusuf.
