Following the attack on Kuje Custodial Centre by the fighters of Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP), the Nigerian Senate Thursday voiced its condemnation.
Senate President, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, who led the leadership of the ninth senate to the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, lambasted the management of the centre for allowing such a national embarrassment to the nation.
The Senate after inspecting destruction of infrastructure by the terrorists on Tuesday, expressed displeasure over non-resistance by the security operatives, given the high profile criminals that were kept behind the bar at the centre.
The non-functional Close Circuit Television ( CCTV) at the prison which incapacitated management and security from preventing and responding appropriately to the attack that led to escape of over 800 inmates was a serious lamentation to the guests at the centre.
On his part,Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege and other principal officers, described the attack as very disappointing and a failure of the security system.
They wondered how 300 ISWAP operatives accessed the premises of the correctional centre on foot, forced their way into the various cells and released over 800 targeted inmates for over an hour without any counter offensive from security personnel on ground .
This is unacceptable and will not be condoned. For CCTV and other relevant tracking gadgets not to be functional, are highly disturbing and dangerous for the security of inmates and residents of the Federal Capital Territory.
Senate leadership insisted that there was insider conspiracy, having accessed the level of destruction and the targeted inmates of the terrorists.
The manner in which the operation was carried out based on inspection made by us, strongly indicates insiders’ connivance which must be critically looked into,” said Lawan.
Reacting to questions from the Senate leadership the Comptroller-General of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), Haliru Nababa, said, 51 security officers were on ground, but were yet overpowered by terrorists.
