REVEALED: How Boko Haram assets, VIP resistance caused Kuje prison riot

– The Kuje prison riot on Monday, August 29 was caused by resistance from inmates in the VIP section of the facility

– A Boko Haram prisoner was caught with a shocking 25 mobile handsets in his cell

– It was a combination of prison guards and soldiers that put down the resistance put up by the inmates on Monday

Details have now emerged of the circumstances that led to the massive riot at Kuje prison in Abuja on Monday, August 29.

According to Punch newspaper, trouble started when prison officials discovered a humongous number of mobile phones in the possession of a Boko Haram prisoner while carrying out a routine search of cells.

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The prison officials also discovered some other stashes that were against the rules and regulations of the Nigerian prisons in other cells. Sources told Punch that other things discovered were narcotics among others.

On seeing that prison officials meant business, prisoners in the so-called VIP section of the prison turned wild in the bid to prevent their cells from being searched.

So serious was the resistance that the prison officials had to retreat and call for back up. It was the combined efforts of armed prison guards and soldiers that restored order in the correctional facility.

“The incident happened this morning. The warders, who were acting on instructions from the prison authorities, decided to search the cells and seize prohibited items.

“During the search, they found 25 handsets with a Boko Haram suspect. After a search of the convicts’ cells, they moved to the awaiting-trial cells.
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“But those men, who saw the warders approaching with some ‘already’ seized items, decided to resist them. They attacked the warders with stones and every object they could lay their hands on, and in the process, many of the warders were injured,” Punch quoted a source as saying.

Although no lives were reported lost, injuries were sustained by some of the inmates. The controller of prisons, FCT Command, Daniel Odharo confirmed the state of things in a statement on Monday.

Odharo said, “At about 1000hrs on Monday, staff of Kuje Prison carried out a routine cell-search which is a part of the prisons operational guidelines to prevent the breach of security within and around the prisons.

“Some inmates tried to resist the exercise, which led to an altercation between the search party and the inmates. This was quickly put under effective control. No prisoner was injured, no property damaged and the yard is calm and peaceful.”

Meanwhile, Femi Falana, a Nigerian lawyer and human rights activist, has harshly criticised the Nigerian army actions of declaring three persons —  Ahmad Salkida, a journalist; Aisha Wakil, a lawyer; and Ahmed Bolori, a social worker — wanted.

The trio was ordered to visit the Nigerian army headquarters as they were suspected of having links with Boko Haram terrorists and possess information on the Chibok girls location.

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