Following the report of repeated sounds of gunshots in the Kuje area of Abuja, the Federal Government has confirmed that the Kuje Correctional Centre was attacked on Tuesday evening.
The government through the Nigerian Correctional Service, however, failed to provide details on the numbers of inmates freed during the attack.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Umar Abubakar, in the early hours of Wednesday, the Service said its armed squad in collaboration with other security agencies responded to the attack.
He, however, said calm had been returned to the area.
The statement titled, ‘Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje attacked by gunmen’ read, “I wish to confirm that at about 2200hrs, some yet-to-be-identified gunmen attacked the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, in the Federal Capital Territory.
“However, men of the Armed Squad of the Nigerian Correctional Service and other security agencies attached to the Custodial Centre have responded and calm has been restored to the facility and the situation is under control.”
There have been at least 12 jailbreaks in the last five years under the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), with over 3,400 fleeing inmates.
