The federal government on Friday, July 8, 2022, said that the terrorists who attacked the Correctional Centre, Kuje in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, succeeded because they had superior firepower and came in huge numbers.
Mohammed Dingyadi, the minister of Police Affairs, stated this while briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the National Security Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Minister said the security personnel deployed to the facility did their best to repel the attack but were subdued by the superior weaponry of the terrorists.
He said some of the assailants were killed, while some escaped with bullet wounds.
He also said that investigations were ongoing to unravel what went wrong that the terrorists were able to succeed in their dastardly operation.
Asked why the terrorists could not be stopped, he said: “You see, this kind of things, they happen and I want to assure you all those who are supposed to play a role in ensuring that the attack is neutralized did the best that they could to neutralize it.
“I think what helped them was the number of people they came with and the superior weapons they came with.
“And because nobody anticipated it, the few people could not withstand the number that they came with. I think that’s what happened.”
He, however, assured that the investigation into the incident will continue.
The Police Affairs minister said that the President had directed that the Security Council meeting should be held to review the situation of security in the country particularly as it relates to insecurity issues that have happened in the last few weeks.
“We are talking about the Kuje Jailbreak that arose as a result of the attacks on the Correctional Center by terrorists as well as the banditry attack that took place in Katsina around the same time, as well as the various attacks on Shiroro local government of Niger State.
“Mr. President was deeply concerned about these developments. And he initiated this meeting to enable security agencies, the service chiefs, Inspector General of Police to brief the council on what actually happened and the way forward.
“We had a very successful meeting and the council has agreed to take proactive measures that will ensure that a repeat of what happened this few days would not be witnessed anymore.
“Mr. president is surprised that what happened to Kuje actually took place in spite of all the security arrangement that has been made to ensure that such an incident does not happen.
“We are assuring the nation and Nigerians in general that arrangements have been made to ensure that full investigations are carried out to ensure that a repeat of these incidences will not occur.
“The Service Chiefs have been given very clear directives to ensure that adequate measures are taken not only to investigate what happened, but also to take steps to forestall the reoccurrence of such incidences.
“We call on Nigerians to continue to support the federal government, in its effort to ensure that we fight criminalities to finish and to ensure that this country is brought back to normalcy in a more secure and a more peaceful atmosphere.
“We are moving towards 2023, and government is committed to ensuring that there’s peace, tranquility to ensure a very credible and a peaceful and transparent elections in Osun State come early next week.”
Asked why specific actions have not been taken after 72 hours the incident took place, he said, “The investigations have already commenced. What I said is that Mr. President has given clear directive to service chiefs to ensure that what happened Kuje does not reoccur again.”
Further asked whether the President in any way questioned some of the people at the meeting, he said, “Even when the President went to Kuje, he raised the surprise there. He was concerned, he expressed his surprise as to how it happened.
“And and that is why he quickly convened this meeting. And the details? Mr. President has been briefed and he has assured the nation that he’s on top of the situation.
“Whatever is supposed to be done is going to be done and is being done to ensure that those of them that are not yet back are brought back to the Correctional Center.
Source: Vanguard
