Hours after the embarrassing attack on the Kuje prison facility on Tuesday night by terrorists, reports emerging claimed that a combined sum of about an N82million and $36,000 was stolen by the assailants during the daring operation. Nigerians woke up to the disappointing news on Wednesday morning of how some Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists stormed the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja and released their members and some other inmates.
It was gathered that the terrorists after bombing sections of the prison to free the inmates, got wind of money unofficially kept in the prison by some of the high-profile inmates including politicians, and former governors.
A source revealed to Vanguard that the terrorists after discovering the money, shared it among the inmates to enable them to transport themselves to their various destinations.
The source said the monies which were brought by families of the high-profile detainees to cater for their needs had been kept with trusted prison officials, including those manning the commissary, adding that the terrorists got wind of the money being kept because the high-profile prisoners were living a different lifestyle in prison
Some of the wealthy and high-profile individuals/politicians detained at the Kuje Correctional Centre include former Taraba Governor Jolly Nyame, and federal lawmaker Farouk Lawan, former Commander, Police IRT, Abba Kyari and Director of Police Pensions, Abdulrasheed Maina.
“After terrorists successfully freed the Boko Haram members, they asked all others who wanted to escape to assemble in an open space in front of the Medium Security Custodial Center, and started sharing transport money to them,” the source said.
The source further disclosed that the terrorists after sharing the money and asking the inmates to flee moved their own members into waiting vehicles and headed towards the Gwagwalada, Abaji route while warning non-members of the BHT not to follow them or they would be killed.
Some of the inmates who escaped on Tuesday night were re-arrested in the Kwali area of the FCT and the surrounding villages with the aid of Vigilantes, and Hunters with coordination from security operatives.
