The Nigerian Army (NA) has attributed the July 5, 2022 attack on the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, which led to the escape of numerous inmates, to the facility’s lack of security measures.
Major Peter Ogbuinya, assistant director of commercial law for the Directorate of Legal Services of the NA, revealed this during an ongoing investigation by the House of Representatives joint committees. The committees are tasked with investigating the whereabouts of the escaped inmates.
According to Major Ogbuinya, the army observed “low perimeter fencing and the absence of Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras” at the Kuje facility. These security shortcomings, he argued, significantly contributed to the successful jailbreak.
Rauf Aregbesola, Nigeria’s minister of interior from 2019 to 2023, had said 888 inmates escaped during the attack, including 554 persons awaiting trial, 71 convicts, 36 on death row, and 17 on life imprisonment. Some of the inmates have been rearrested while some are still at large.
The audacious attack raised concerns about the security of prisons in Nigeria and the potential dangers posed by escaped inmates. Ogbuinya said several intel reports were shared with the head of the facility before the attack, yet no action was taken to prevent the jailbreak.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
