Correctional Service disagrees with Sheik Gumi, says there was no intelligence on Kuje attacks

The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) has made a startling disclosure in the aftermath of the daring terrorist attacks on the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.

According to the service, it did not have an intelligence report about an impending attack and only intelligence on the custodial facility in Bauchi and one other location was collected.

The NCoS spokesman, Umar Abubakar, said this on Thursday during an interview on TVC News’ Your View, but added that the assailants used what he called the principle of surprise.

Earlier, the controversial Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, said on Wednesday, that the attackers of the March 28 Abuja-Kaduna passenger train were behind Tuesday’s attack on the Kuje correctional centre in Abuja.

In a statement issued by his media consultant, Tukur Mamu, the cleric said he shared intelligence reports with a committee set up by the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, and security agencies on the terrorists.

He, however, claimed that they failed to act on the reports.

But the NCoS spokesman said: “We didn’t have intelligence about Kuje Correctional Centre. The intelligence we had was about Bauchi and another. We will only appeal to the communities where these facilities are located to assist us with intelligence. It also has to do with the synergy among the various security agencies.

“All our facilities are fortified. What I want to tell you is that what they adopted is the principle of surprise. They came in with IEDs to our facilities and when they came in, the armed men on ground engaged them in a fierce battle.

“They shared themselves into three. There was an attempt to gain entrance through the main gate of the facility but they could not. Because of the fierce battle from the armed men on ground. The third group now used IEDs by the wall. They brought down the wall and got access to the facility.”

Read also:879 inmates escaped, 4 died in Kuje prison attack – NcoS

Regarding the deaths that were reported during the jailbreak, Umar revealed that a member of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) died in the attack on Tuesday while some NCoS members were shot.

He continued by saying that some of the terrorists managed to flee while others were shot and killed.

“On the side of the security personnel on duty, we lost one civil defense officer, while some of our men sustained gunshot wounds; they are currently being treated in one of the hospitals.

“Then, on the side of the terrorists, three were gunned down and some escaped with gunshots wounds and we have made an appeal to hospitals and clinics that if there is anybody who come to the hospital or clinic with gunshot wound, such person is a criminal and such person should be reported to the nearest police station or they can get across to us,” Abubakar explained

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