More revelations have emerged on Tuesday’s attack of the Kuje Correctional Centre in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, by Boko Haram terrorists.
Reliable sources at the medium prison revealed that part of the agenda of the terrorists, apart from freeing their detained colleagues, was to kill detained Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari, during the attack.
There have been concerns over the whereabouts of the embattled super cop, who has been in confinement at the Kuje Correctional Centre, over drug related offences. It was, however, revealed, yesterday, that he narrowly escaped death during the attack.
Reliable prison sources disclosed that as soon as the heavily armed terrorists succeeded in freeing their colleagues inside the prison, one of the rescued commanders started shouting that Abah Kyari must be fished out and killed. The rescued Boko Haram commander was said to have pointed at the isolated area where Kyari is detained at the prison and the terrorists moved towards the place shouting his name, saying; “Abba Kyari, you are dead, we will kill you now” as they targeted their rifles and fired over 200 rounds of ammunition towards the place.
It was learned that as they were advancing towards the building, shots from military men who came to repel the attack rang out heavily, prompting their hasty retreat as they escaped with their colleagues, which was their main target.
It was also gathered that as soon as the bandits disappeared from the prison, many of the inmates took the same route through which they escaped and ran away.
The source said: “We ran into the cells for our dear lives when we saw the barrage of bullets coming from the highly sophisticated weapons in their possession. The armed men moved without restraint towards the area Boko Haram suspects were confined, suggesting that they must have carried out discreet surveillance before storming the prison facilities.
“I must add that I admire the courage of Abba Kyari because he was one of the first inmates that came out to confront the prisoners escaping from the centre. He was overheard speaking in a combination of Hausa language and pidgin English, appealing to the inmates who were rushing towards the broken wall for escape to calm down.“
The terrorists were reported to have threatened to kill Abba Kyari three months earlier in Kuje prision, over his alleged role in arresting some of their colleagues in detention.
Other high profile inmates who refused to escape and remained in the correctional centre after Tuesday’s jailbreak are ex-Federal lawmaker, Farouk Lawal and former governor Jolly Nyame, among others.