In the federal capital territory’s Kuje council region, an attack on a correctional facility has reportedly been blamed on the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Gunmen assaulted the prison on Tuesday night, and over 500 inmates, including all of the Boko Haram suspects, are reported to have fled.
The attack claimed the lives of four prisoners and one officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Coops (NSCDC).
Read Also: Seven Facts To Know About Attacks On Kuje Correctional Facility
Gunshots can be heard in the background of a video that the Islamic State A’maq agency allegedly released on Wednesday, July 6.
The video appears to show a view of the Kuje prison with some ISWAP fighters, while displaying Arabic writing which, when translated, has ISWAP saying its members organised the attack.
It reads;
A video clip obtained by Amaq shows the first moments of the liberation of prisoners after Islamic State fighters stormed Kuje prison yesterday in Nigeria.
According to Tomasz Rolbecki, a researcher who analyses activities of insurgents in sub-Saharan Africa, ISWAP said the attack resulted in its fighters “freeing dozens of prisoners”.
#BREAKING: ISWAP has just claimed responsibility for the Kuje prison break, saying it had succeeded in "freeing dozens of prisoners". pic.twitter.com/3wliA3OEwg
— Tomasz Rolbiecki (@TomaszRolbiecki) July 6, 2022
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has described the attack as “shocking”, and said he is disappointed with the intelligence gathering capacity of security agencies.
He said during a visit to the facility on Wednesday;
I am disappointed with the intelligence system. How can terrorists organize, have weapons, attack a security installation and get away with it? I am expecting a comprehensive report on this shocking incident.
