Buhari Asks Journalists: How Can Terrorists Have Weapons To Attack Kuje Prison And Get Away With It?

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday posed questions to journalists instead of providing answers as to how suspected Boko Haram terrorists successfully broke into the Kuje Prison and freed hundreds of inmates, including suspected Boko Haram terrorists undergoing trial for insurgency activities.

“I am disappointed with the intelligence system. How can terrorists organize, have weapons, attack a security installation and get away with it?” Buhari was quoted as asking journalists during his visit to the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre following Tuesday’s attack that resulted in the escape of over 800 inmates.

Femi Adesina, the president’s senior media adviser, said his principal expressed disappointment “with the intelligence system” after inspecting the facility and receiving briefing from the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaib Mohammad Lamido Belgore, and the Controller General of Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, about the attack.

“President Buhari, who, like most Nigerians was shocked by both the scale and audacity of the attack queried: “How did the defences at the prison fail to prevent the attack? How many inmates were in the facility? How many of them can you account for? How many personnel did you have on duty? How many of them were armed? Were there guards on the watchtower? What did they do? Does the CCTV work?” Question after question.

“The President was also informed that the security forces have recaptured 350 of the escapees while about 450 others are still unaccounted for, and that rapid work is underway to recapture the rest,” said Adesina.

Buhari subsequently directed the relevant authorities to submit “a comprehensive report” on the incident, said Adesina.

He added, “The Presidency wishes to use this opportunity to react to mounting criticism of the trip to Dakar, Senegal by the President, and to stress that Governments don’t stop working because nations face terrorist threats. To cancel the trip to Senegal would mean that the terrorists are successful in calling the shots, something that no responsible government in the world will allow.”

Buhari was accompanied to the prison facility by Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and Professor Ibrahim Gambari, his Chief of Staff.