Nigeria: Islamic State attack on a prison in Abuja

Islamic State on Wednesday night claimed responsibility for an attack on a prison in the capital Abuja and the release of about 440 inmates, raising fears that the jihadists are venturing beyond Nigeria’s northeastern provinces, where they have strongholds. their.

Swaib Belgore, the interior ministry’s permanent secretary, told reporters outside the prison (where 900 people were being held) that one member of the security services was killed in the raid and three other guards were injured. He attributed the attack to the Islamist group Boko Haram, members of which were held in that prison.

The spokesman claimed that the attackers wanted to free other members of the organization who were being held among the “general population” of the prison. “For this reason, others also escaped, but many of them returned,” he added.

A total of 879 prisoners left. Of these, 443 remain at large, while the rest were located and taken back to their cells. Four prisoners were killed and 16 others were injured during the invasion.

“Some surrendered themselves to the police, others we found in the jungle where they were hiding,” Belgore said.

Outside the prison, reporters saw burnt-out cars bearing bullet holes – signs of the battle that took place around the building during the nighttime raid.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who was on his way to his hometown of Dawrah for the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday, visited the prison and asked to be briefed on the attack.

In another attack today, the president’s motorcade heading to Katsina State came under fire. The vehicles were carrying bodyguards, advisers and other presidential staff, but not Buhari himself. “The attackers opened fire on the motorcade but were repelled by the soldiers, police and security personnel accompanying it,” a presidential spokesman said.

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