Kuje Prison Break: Terrorists Shared Money, Preached Before Setting Inmates Free

Reports have alleged that terrorists who attacked the Medium Security Custodial Center in the Kuje area of the Federal Capital Territory on Tuesday night gave out transport fares to the prisoners to help in their escape.

According to Daily Trust, the terrorists who later claimed to be members of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) successfully gained entrance into the prison yard and told the inmates they were there to set them free.

One of the security officials who coordinated the rescue mission that recaptured many of the inmates told a correspondent of the publication that the terrorists did not force them to leave but asked those interested to join them outside and those not ready to remain.

Another security source said that many of those arrested were caught in the Kwali area of the FCT and the surrounding villages with the aid of vigilantes, hunters and farmers with coordination from security operatives.

“The terrorists moved everyone out of the facility to an open place where they gave Quranic lectures for about 15 minutes before they started sharing transportation fares to their members whom they came to rescue. It was very clear they came prepared,” a security source said.

A news outlet, FIJ, stated the intruders spoke in Ebira, in addition to Fulani and Hausa.

The report alleged that the jailbreakers had so much free time they first delivered a 15 minutes lecture before setting them free, an insider who witnessed the incident said

“Quite a few of them understand Ebira; they preached in Ebira, Fulani and Hausa. And there were many of them. They surrounded the facility, as big and well-equipped as it is, and still had more than 20 of them inside the prison. That tells you there were so many of them,” it quoted a source.