The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said on Monday 65 fully-armed security operatives were on guard when terrorists attacked the Kuje correctional centre, Abuja, IgbereTV reports
Aregbesola stated this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Joint Committee investigating the attack in Abuja.
He said 888 persons escaped from the correctional centre.
Members of the Islamic State for West African Province (ISWAP) on July 5 attacked the correctional centre and freed hundreds of inmates, including suspected terrorists detained in the facility.
At least six vehicles were also damaged during the attack.
The terror group later released a video of the attack.
At the investigative hearing, the lawmakers expressed disappointment that the attack lasted several hours without any intervention by the security operatives.
Aregbesola said: “On the day of the invasion, there were 31 military personnel of the Nigerian Army, five personnel of MOPOL 21, five personnel of MOPOL 50, two personnel of the Counter Terrorism Unit of the Nigeria Police, two personnel of Kuje Police Division, seven personnel of Nigeria Immigration Service, three personnel of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and 10 personnel of correctional armed squad.
“These 65 people were there for specific responsibility of resisting and preventing any attack. And they were all armed. Because of the presence of the pressmen here, I would not tell you the grades of arsenals in their possession, but they were well armed
