64 Boko Haram Terrorists Escaped From Kuje Prison - Defence Minister, Bashir Magashi

The Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, on Wednesday, said that 64 Boko Haram suspects in Kuje Correctional Facility are missing.

Magashi disclosed this during a press conference at the facility in Abuja. Gunmen had attacked the prison with explosives on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, said over 600 of the inmates fled the prison when it came under attack.

He, however, said about 300 had been recaptured, while 300 were still at large.

But Magashi said the attackers are Boko Haram insurgents and 64 of its members, who were inmates in the facility, cannot be found.

He said: “What actually happened, they came in their numbers and released some of the inmates. We are now trying to determine the kind of inmates they released.

“We are trying to see what we can do to see that all escapees within the prison accommodation are brought back to the prison yard.

“About 994 inmates, we have about 600 already inside now. Many people are being recaptured. The people who came to do this, from the records, belong to a particular group, from all indicators they are Boko haram.

“Presently we could not locate any of them. Currently, they are about 64 of them as inmates and we could not locate them.”