Buhari declares after visiting Kuje Custodial Center: “I am disappointed in our intelligence system.”

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday after his visit to the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje  attacked by terrorists, declared: “I am disappointed with the intelligence system. How can terrorists organize, have weapons, attack a security installation and get away with it?”

According to a statement by Senior Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari, who spent about 30 minutes said this after inspecting some of the points impacted by the attack, while speaking to newsmen, expressing disappointment with the intelligence system and utilization.

He was briefed about the attack by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaib Belgore and the Controller General of Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa.

The President was shown the bombed-out section used to access first, and the records office which was set on fire, and was told that the invaders thereafter launched an attack on all cells in which Boko Haram terrorists were held.

“The President was apprised that, at the end of it, none of the 63 terrorists are accounted for, but it was emphasized that records are not lost because they have been backed up”, the statement read.

President Buhari, who, was shocked by both the scale and audacity of the attack queried: “How did the defences at the prison fail to prevent the attack? How many inmates were in the facility? How many of them can you account for? How many personnel did you have on duty? How many of them were armed? Were there guards on the watchtower? What did they do? Does the CCTV work?”

The President was also informed that the security forces have recaptured 350 of the escapees while about 450 others are still unaccounted for, and that rapid work is under way to recapture the rest.

The President, accompanied by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, the Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, said at the end of the visit that he is expecting “a comprehensive report” on the incident.