RECORD: Boko Haram has attacked 10 prisons and freed 2,255 prisoners

The Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram, has since 2009, raided 10 prisons in 14 attacks and freed 2,255 prisoners, the Chief Superintendent of Prisons and Spokesperson for the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), Mr. Ope Fatimokun said on Wednesday in Abuja. 

The sect's first prison attack was in July 27, 2009 on the Maiduguri Prisons where they freed 482 inmates.  The sects latest prison attack was the October 29, 2014 raid in Mubi, Adamawa State were another 366 inmates were set free.

Fatimokun, who spoke at the Forum of Spokespersons of Security and Response Agencies (FOSSRA)/I-Nigerian Initiative media interaction in Abuja, disclosed that some of the jailbreaks carried out by the terrorists include that of Bauchi Prisons in September 2010 ( 489 inmates released); Damaturu Prison attack on June 24, 2012 (41 inmates released); Maiduguri Farm Centre (79 inmates released); Gwoza Prisons (118 prisoners released); Bama Prison (105 prisoners released) and Ganye Prisons in Adamawa on Mrrch 22, 2013 where 134 prisoners were freed.

He said that of this number, 194 of the escapee inmates have so far been re-arrested.

The Prisons boss also said: “A total of 46 prison officers comprising forty two serving and four retired personnel have been killed since the beginning of the insurgency”.

He identified inadequate budgetary allocation, prison congestion, inadequate staffing, poor logistics, insurgency and terrorism as some of the challenges facing the Prisons Service.

Among other things, he called for the provision of heavy arms and ammunition, helicopters and armoured personnel carriers for the service so that it would be able to respond adequately to the reoccurring attacks on prison personnel and formations.