Reps Begin Kuje Jailbreak Probe One Month After
Over one month after terrorists attacked the Nigerian Correctional Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, Abuja, the House of Representatives, on Tuesday, commenced an investigative hearing on the incident.
While the jailbreak occurred on July 5, 2022, the House had on July 21 resolved to probe into the circumstances surrounding the attack on the facility.
The House had mandated its committees on National Security and Intelligence; Interior; Reformatory Services; Defence; Army; Air Force; Navy and Police Affairs to “investigate the causes, dimensions and effects of the unfortunate Kuje Custodial Centre attack.”
The joint committee is to report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
The House also urged the Federal Government to implement the recommendations of the Special Summit on National Security organised by the leadership of the House in 2021, which the lawmakers said had a “broad national stakeholders’ participation.”
The resolution was based on the unanimous adoption of the motion moved by Chairman of the House Committee on Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Sha’aban Sharada, titled ‘Need to Investigate the Terrorists Attack on Nigerian Correctional Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje.’
Sharada had recalled that that on July 5, 2022, terrorists attacked the Nigerian Correctional Service’s Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, in Abuja.
The lawmaker also recalled that the next day, Minister of Defence, Major-General Bashir Magashi (retd.), while on an assessment visit to the scene of the incident, stated that over 600 inmates, including 64 Boko Haram suspects, out of about 994 inmates accommodated in the custodial centre had escaped.
He further recalled that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), expressed disappointment over the embarrassing development and directed a comprehensive investigation to address the situation.
However, the joint House Committee on the Need to Investigate the Terrorist Attack on Nigerian Correctional Centre Kuje only held its inaugural investigative hearing on Tuesday without invitation to journalists.
