ISWAP Claims Responsibility For Kuje Prison Attack
The Islamic State in West Africa Province, ISWAP, has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack on a correctional facility in the Kuje council area of the federal capital territory (FCT).
On Tuesday night, gunmen attacked the correctional facility, with over 600 prisoners — including all Boko Haram suspects — said to have escaped.
Four inmates have been confirmed dead, while an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC), was also killed in the attack.
The ISWAP claimed responsibility for the attack in a 30-second video that showed the gunmen setting ablaze vehicles parked in the facility.
The video, which is said to have been published on Wednesday by the Islamic State A’maq agency, shows what appears to be a view of the Kuje prison while gunshots are heard in the background.
“The video clip obtained by Amaq shows the first moments of the liberation of prisoners after Islamic State fighters stormed Kuje prison yesterday in Nigeria,” it reads.
According to Tomasz Rolbecki, a researcher who analyses activities of insurgents in sub-Saharan Africa, ISWAP said the attack resulted in its fighters “freeing dozens of prisoners”.
The spokesman, Nigeria Correctional Service, Umar Abubakar, confirmed that an NSCDC officer, Insp. Illyasu Abraham, three terrorists, and four inmates died in the incident.
The Kuje attack came barely hours after a convoy of cars carrying the Advance Team of security guards, protocol, and media officers ahead of the President’s trip to Daura for Sallah, came under a terrorist attack
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has described the attack as “shocking”, and said he is disappointed with the intelligence-gathering capacity of security agencies.
“I am disappointed with the intelligence system. How can terrorists organize, have weapons, attack a security installation and get away with it? I am expecting a comprehensive report on this shocking incident,” he said during a visit to the facility on Wednesday.