The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, confirmed on Wednesday, that more than 600 prisoners escaped the Kuje Custodial Centre after the late night attack on Tuesday.
Belgore said that Boko Haram terrorists, who came particularly to free their members being held in jail, were responsible for the brutal attack.
However, he claimed that while 300 were still at large, approximately 300 had been recaptured.
Speaking to newsmen, he added that the incident claimed the life of a member of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
“There have been several attacks on our facilities most of them are being repelled, but every now and then, there is one that they have succeeded. In this is one they came very determined with high explosives,” he said.
Read: NCS speaks on Kuje prison attack
“The initial entry attempt was unsuccessful, then they attacked another section of the wall with higher grade explosives which brought the wall down.
“The forces on the ground did everything they could to repel them but the number they came with was high which they were not able to defend against. They kept on fighting gallantly unfortunately the breach happened. Reinforcement came when they were halfway through it. They were eventually repelled.
“At the time they came in they killed one NSCDC operative while trying to save the situation. The inmates here are 994.
“We understand they are Boko Haram terrorists and came specifically came for their conspirators. Many of them have returned, some were retrieved from the bushes they were hiding, right now we have retrieved about 300 out of about 600 that got out of the jail.”
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