TheCable

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed disappointment over the manner Kuje prison in the federal capital territory (FCT) was attacked by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.

The president ascribed the situation to a failure of intelligence when he visited the medium security custodial centre on Wednesday.

Buhari queried why terrorists are able to successfully “attack a security installation and get away with it”.

Following his arrival at the facility, the president was briefed about the attack by Shuaib Belgore, permanent secretary, ministry of interior, and Haliru Nababa, the controller general of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, said Buhari expressed shock at the scale and audacity of the attack.

“How did the defences at the prison fail to prevent the attack? How many personnel did you have on duty? How many of them were armed?” the president was quoted as asking the prison officials.

Buhari was also said to have inquired about the number of guards on the watchtower and the functionality of the closed-circuit television (CCTV ) cameras in the facility.

Speaking with journalists after the inspection, Buhari said: “I am disappointed with the intelligence system.

“How can terrorists organise, have weapons, attack a security installation and get away with it?”

The president added that he is expecting “a comprehensive report” on the incident.

Buhari is expected to travel to Dakar, Senegal, later today to participate in the International Development Association (IDA) for Africa summit.