ISWAP Claims Responsibility for Attack on Kuje Prison, Releases Video

Terrorist group, Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) has claimed responsibility for the Tuesday night’s attack on Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, Abuja, where inmates, including Boko Haram terrorists, were freed.

The terrorist group, in a short video released Wednesday, said it succeeded in freeing dozens of prisoners.

The 38 seconds video released by the Islamic State’s A’maq Agency had a caption in Arabic, translated as  “Fighters of Islamic State attacked Kuje prison in Abuja yesterday and succeeded in freeing dozens of prisoners.”

In the footage, sporadic gunshots were heard and vehicles in the custodial centre were set ablaze by attackers. 

In a statement Wednesday, the Nigerian Correctional Service said: “A total of 879 inmates escaped from the facility during the unfortunate attack. As at the time of this report, 443 have been recaptured, 551 inmates are currently in custody, 443 inmates are still at large.”

The statement signed by the Service Public Relations Officer, Mr Abubakar Umar, said, “Four inmates are dead and 16 inmates sustained various degree of injuries and are being treated at the moment. However, efforts are ongoing to recapture all fleeing inmates.”