The management of Kuje Prisons came under fire from the Senate yesterday after ISWAP militants attacked it without any resistance in the early hours of Wednesday. The Senate claimed that this incident illustrates the shortcomings of the nation’s security system.
The Senate expressed its complete displeasure over the prison’s non-operational Closed Circuit Television (CCTV), which prevented management and security personnel from preventing and properly responding to the attack that resulted in the escape of over 800 inmates, even as it cited insider conspiracy and described the incident as unfortunate and disappointing.
Similar to the Senate, the Middle Belt Forum, Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Social Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress, ADC, and the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, also responded angrily to the terrorist attack.
Only insider cooperation can lead to an attack, – Senate President
Sen. Ahmad Lawan, president of the Senate, said that an attack on the Kuje Medium Security Prison could only have been carried out with the cooperation of insiders in the country’s prison system in statements he made yesterday in Abuja while leading a delegation of the leadership of the Senate to assess the severity of the attack on the prison.
Lawan, who expressed anger over what happened in Kuje, was with his Deputy, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, and other principal officers.
Lawmakers on the Senate delegation, which also had some members of the Committee on National Security and Intelligence, were conducted around the facility by the Controller-General of Prisons, Haliru Nababa.
They wondered how 300 ISWAP operatives accessed the premises of the prison on foot, forced their way into the various cells, and released over 800 inmates for over an hour without any counter-offensive from security personnel on ground.
Lawan asked the Controller-General of Prisons to include a request for the provision of CCTV across maximum and medium prisons across the country in its 2023 budget proposal to the National Assembly for approval.
Speaking after an assessment of the facility, Lawan said: “This is unacceptable and will not be condoned. For CCTV and other relevant tracking gadgets not to be functional is highly disturbing and dangerous for the security of inmates and residents of the Federal Capital Territory.
“The way the operation was even carried out, based on inspection made by us, strongly indicates insiders’ connivance which must be critically looked into.
“The attack on this facility is symptomatic of the failure of security. The attack is only a culmination of the failure.
“We were told that an estimated 300 terrorists attacked this facility. They came on foot, and I believe they should have been detected.
“In the first place, 300 people will not come for an operation like this without planning. Planning must have taken a week, a month, or a bit more. I believe our security agencies should have picked this from their tracking systems in the FCT.
“Secondly, having gone round the facility itself, we are disappointed that this facility does not have Closed Circuit Television, CCTV, cameras, something that would record and give you details of what is happening and sometimes record the events.
“This is a medium-security prison. How on earth in the FCT a facility of this magnitude will not have CCTV? It means we can say that all other medium security centers across the country do not have CCTV.
“We have asked the Controller-General of Prisons to ensure the request for CCTV at the maximum and medium custodial centers of the country is included in their 2023 budget because this is essential and indispensable.
“Now, as this facility lacks a functional CCTV, there’s no record of what happened, except narration. But if we had CCTV, at least the records would have been there and analyses made, and an arrest will be based on the information from the CCTV.
“Thirdly, going from one cell to another to release people, specifically, those that are known to be insurgents, tells a lot of stories.
“It may not be far away from an insider job, someone who is either working in this place or must have worked here. I think we have to look deeper into what happened, so we can find the culprits, because when things like this happen, then there should be sanctions.
“Where people fail to do their job properly, and they have been given that responsibility, they should be asked to take responsibility.
“If people don’t take responsibility for their failure, then it means nobody would bother to do what is expected of his office or job.
“Having this kind of situation today in the FCT, that we have criminals who are free now all over the city is very dangerous and you can never have peace of mind. The FCT has the seat of government, and today, that seat is not safe. So, we have to do whatever it takes to get everybody back.”
Lawan tasked security agencies to ensure the insurgents who escaped from the Kuje medium prisons are found and brought back.
51 Security Personnel Were On The Scene At The Time Of The Attack
Lt. Col. Adisa, the Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Army Battalion in Gwagwalada, who earlier briefed the lawmakers, said that no fewer than 300 insurgents were responsible for the attack. He also revealed that only 51 security personnel were present when the terrorists, who were armed with IEDs, stormed the facility.
According to the barrage of inquiries directed against Haliru Nababa, the Controller-General of Prisons, 51 security officers were reportedly present at the scene of the attack.
The 300 attackers, who were armed with AK-47s and IEDs, outnumbered the 51 security personnel that the C-G had provided.
He said: “Our men and other security operatives like the Army and Police gave the attackers the required counter-offensive which made them suffer casualty of about four terrorists.”
Irked by his submission, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Omo- Agege, who noted that killing four out of 300 was nothing to write home about, said: “I’m personally disturbed by your submission.
“Killing just four terrorists out of 300 is nothing to me. This type of poor response to the heinous crime of this nature is not deterring in any way because they can attack again.”
SDP Condemns FG For The Country’s Security Issues
Alhaji Shehu Gabam, national chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), also referred to the Federal Government as a disaster for its inability to address national security threats.
In a chat with Vanguard, Gabam bemoaned the terrible situation of the nation, stating that criminal elements had grown so brazen that they no longer felt threatened by an attack on a jail in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
His words: “The attack on the President’s convoy on its way to Daura is an indication that these terrorists are very daring. It shows the government is completely overwhelmed and in its characteristic arrogance, will not seek help from other countries. We are only consoling ourselves everyday because the Buhari-led government is incapable of delivering on its promises.
“Prison facilities all over the world have some layers of intelligence because the inmates are people who committed crimes against society. How was it possible for such a facility to be attacked without the nation’s intelligence bodies having a hint about it? What is this telling us as Nigerians? This government has failed and does not have what it takes to provide quality governance to the people. If you cannot secure the people, why are you the head of a government?”
Failure Of The Security, Intelligence Systems – PANDEF
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), on the other hand, bemoaned yesterday’s attacks as evidence of the country’s security and intelligence system’s failure.
PANDEF’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ken Robinson, who spoke in Port Harcourt, said: “It is unfortunate that the nation’s security architecture has been compromised and criminals, terrorists, and bandits freely and easily do whatsoever they like.
“It is shameful that these criminals will go to the Federal Capital Territory as it is reported, operate, and carry out the action for three hours undisturbed and free prisoners. And carry out massive destruction of property.
“It is unthinkable and all that we have heard is a statement from the presidency. A few days earlier, the president’s convey or his advance team was attacked in his state of Katsina.
“Obviously, PANDEF for long has been saying that the nation’s security system and intelligence system have collapsed. The nation’s security system is obsolete, it is outdated, and no matter how you change personnel at the top bring a new IGP, sack all the services chiefs and bring in new people the situation will continue because it is about the system.
“The country has got to a point when it can no longer run this mono, unitary security system. Again, there is a need for the restructuring of this country, not just the security architecture.
“There is no need we should continue to have security in the exclusive legislative list of our constitution. The security system should be divested to the federating units.’’
Nigeria Has No Govt—MBF
Also, the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, lamented that Nigeria had no government in place.
The National President of MBF, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, while reacting to the two incidents in Makurdi, said: “The attack on Kuje prison and the attack on the President’s convoy is so disappointing and it means that the security control is lost by our government.
“It is just like an indication that we lack government in place; because the Kuje prison is at the Federal Capital of Nigeria. For whoever and for whatever reason to come and attack that facility for over an hour, in fact, some people are saying close to three hours, and release the Boko Haram commanders who were all there, without any challenge from the security agencies, is a total failure of our security.
“It means that what the Zamfara State governor had advocated for the people to arm themselves, though unconstitutional, is like the right way forward because our federal security system which we all depend on has collapsed and nobody is safe anymore.
“As far as I am concerned and I believe the majority of Nigerians are concerned, we do not have a government in place. We have lost it.
“Nigeria has become a pariah state and has lost it in terms of security. The constitutional provision has totally lost relevance since the responsibility of government and its existence as contained in our constitution is the provision of security and welfare for the people that have all been lost.
“So it is an unfortunate situation. We can only pray that God will help us to reach 2023 when we may have a government that has the semblance of government to run the affairs of the country properly.”
The administration claimed that it had put all security checkpoints in the nation on notice and was actively searching places within a 100-kilometer radius of the prison, pledging not to spare the rod should any sort of involvement be found.
Also, the government said it had begun a manhunt for inmates who escaped from the facility during the attack.
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Abdulrauf Aregbesola, in a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Sola Fasure, noted that the security officers on duty had fiercely engaged the invaders and inflicted heavy casualties on them.
“Regrettably, given their unprecedented number, they overpowered the officers on duty. One of the security personnel that engaged the attackers was unfortunately killed. May his soul rest in peace! Calm and normalcy have since been returned to the Centre,” Aregbesola said.
According to him, preliminary investigation indicates that the Boko Haram terrorists may have been responsible for the attack.
He added that the Prisons Service, in conjunction with other security agencies, were working to bring back the escaped inmates.
On measures taken to forestall the Tuesday night attack, Aregbesola explained that after the Abolongo, Oyo State, attack on a prison facility in October last year, “it became apparent that a new form of attack for which our system was not prepared for had emerged.
“Our system was primed to prevent and foil internal disturbance and riots, not external attacks/invasion since the facilities were usually built around police and military formations.’’
Aregbesola said he had consequently directed that the Nigerian Prisons Service urgently worked with other security agencies to fortify all prisons in the country and insulate them from future attacks, among other measures.
“We are working with the Ministry of Defence and the Office of the National Security Adviser as well as other intelligence and security agencies to ensure that the attackers and the escaped inmates are captured and returned to custody.
‘’As we speak, security personnel are combing the whole area, up to a distance of 100 kilometers radius, looking for them. All checkpoints nationwide have been put on alert. More than 400 of them have been brought in and more are still coming.
“We appeal to all residents to be calm but vigilant. Security is a collective work between the government and the citizens. Kindly, therefore, report all suspicious individuals and activities to the nearest security agency around you.
‘’We appeal also to doctors and medical workers to treat and then immediately report anyone with gunshot wounds to the law enforcement agency.
“The minister has directed that all prisons in the country be fortified; that all personnel be vigilant and alert, to avoid a recurrence.
“The minister has directed that a full investigation into the incident be carried out and he should be briefed as soon as possible. If any complicity is established, the Minister has promised that appropriate actions would be taken.
“The minister has pledged to continue to strengthen all correctional facilities and keep our people safe at all times,” the statement added”.
