A soldier and a policeman were killed and scores of inmates escaped the Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC) in Kabba, Kogi State, following an attack by gunmen suspected to be terrorists.
Two officers of the Correctional Service are also missing.
Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 8, Lokoja, Ayuba Edeh, confirmed the killing.
The terrorists shot and killed the soldier and policeman before attacking the prison facility.
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) spokesman, Mr Francis Enobore, also confirmed the incident in a statement on Monday, stating that the attack took place about midnight on Sunday.
According to him, the attackers arrived at the custodial centre heavily armed and immediately engaged the guards in a fierce gun battle.
Enobore further disclosed that the Comptroller–General, Haliru Nababa, has ordered a recapture procedure to be activated immediately and detailed investigation carried out even as he leads a team to assess the situation.
The Comptroller-General also appealed to the general public to furnish security operatives with useful intelligence that will assist in recapturing the escapees.
Kabba MSCC was established in 2008 with a capacity of 200.
As of the time of the invasion, 294 inmates were in custody out of which 224 were pre-trial detainees and 70 convicted inmates.
In his reaction, Interior Minister, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, said security forces would find the attackers and bring them to justice.
A statement by his Media Adviser, Sola Fasure, reads:
“The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has been briefed by the Controller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Haliru Nababa, on the unfortunate attack on Kabba Medium Security Custodial Centre, in Kabba, Kogi State, by yet to be identified gunmen.
“During the attack, security officers on duty which comprised of 15 soldiers, 10 Police Officers and 10 armed guards of the NCoS on duty fought gallantly to repel the attack. Regrettably, two officers of the Correctional Service are yet to be accounted for while one soldier and a policeman lost their lives during the attack.
“The Kabba Custodial facility had 294 inmates as at the time of the attack, many of whom escaped after the gunmen used explosives to destroy three sides of the perimeter fence. However, there remains 28 inmates who didn’t escape. Some have also voluntarily returned to the facility as at this morning.
“The Controller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, is currently monitoring the situation. A tour of the facility is also ongoing.
“A Crisis Response Centre has been activated and a Special Taskforce mobilised to recapture escaped inmates whilst an Inter-Agency Security Task Force is already on the trail of the gunmen who attacked the facility.
“The public is advised to stay calm as the situation is under control.
“The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, assures the citizenry that Nigeria’s security forces will find the attackers and bring them to justice. We shall leave no stone unturned to bring them back to custody. We are also putting INTERPOL on notice with their details, in case any of them attempts fleeing outside our shores.
“We urge the people, especially the communities around the custodial facility, to be vigilant and report any strange and suspicious persons or activities to the nearest law enforcement agency.
“To the fleeing inmates, escaping from lawful custody is a serious criminal offence. Law enforcement agencies and citizens are lawfully empowered to use all necessary means to arrest and bring you to justice. You should, therefore, know what you are up against. You will, however, be eligible for mitigation if you wilfully surrender yourselves at the nearest law enforcement office.
“The Nigeria Correctional Service shall not be cowed by elements seeking to compromise the security of our nation. We shall deal with this situation with absolute resolve.
Further updates will be provided after the end of the preliminary assessment”.
