Aregbesola expresses disappointment over security breach at Kuje custodial facility

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Aregbesola inspecting Kuje facility yesterday

Aregbesola inspecting Kuje facility yesterday

[files] Kuje prison

20220708_175717

*’Do not dare us’, he warns

*Inspects damage at the facility

Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbedola has expressed disappointment over Tuesday night’s attack on the Kuje medium security custodial centre by suspected terrorists.

The minister made his displeasure known to senior officers of the all the agencies under his ministry while on an inspection tour of the facility at the weekend in Abuja.

He said the Kuje facility is a world-class facility by any standard hence the attack should not have been successful but for the poor fire response of personnel on guard.

“I am disappointed with the level of defence because we have enough men to protect this facility. Unfortunately, they couldn’t hold their position effectively and that was the reason for the breakfast,” Aregbesola lamented.

“We have a world class facility here by any standard. Now my position is so clear because I have declared since April last year that all our facilities are red zones and that whoever attempts an attack must not live to tell the story, I still maintain this,” he said.

Aregbesola noted that “Kuje facility is the most fortified in the country if fortification for security is the determinant of whether is medium or maximum, it is medium by size but maximum by the security being put there.

“We have a platoon of security officers deployed here. We have a high grade of military and police and other security forces deployed for protection but strangely something happened most of which I cannot say on camera.

The minister said that he believes t those who escaped can only run but cannot hide.

“It is very regrettable that this happened. Let me put it in context, the nation is experiencing asymmetric warfare.

“Yes, the insurgents have been degraded in the North East of Nigeria, 61, 000 of them are in our custody in the North East, the effect of the effectiveness itself in degrading them in the North East is what we are experiencing. As sad as it is, we must put behind whatever it is happening in the contest of the asymmetrical warfare unleashed on the nation by these criminal elements and we will rise to it, that’s the assurance, he explains.

“I want to give to Nigerians, as I said if deployments are the basis of security, Kuje was as at Tuesday heavily fortified,” he adds.