Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola said there have been recurring attacks on correctional facilities across the country since the #EndSARS protests.
Gatekeepers News reports that Aregbesola said this during a “surprise visit” to the Kirikiri maximum and medium-security custodial centres in Apapa, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Tuesday.
In October 2020, Nigerians (youths especially) protested across major cities of the country against police brutality under the #EndSARS movement.
The protests, which eventually led to the ban of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), were later hijacked by hoodlums and correctional facilities and other government buildings were attacked.
On July 5, Gatekeepers News reported that gunmen launched an attack on the Kuje Custodial Centre, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and freed over 500 inmates.
The July 5 attack was the latest in a string of jailbreaks in recent times.
Aregbesola’s Media Adviser, Sola Fasure in a statement said the ministry has successfully quelled all attacks organised by inmates since the #EndSARS protests.
The Minister, however, commended security agencies for their efforts and added that there will be improved measures to “fortify” the correctional facilities.
“We must acknowledge our servicemen and security agencies, who have sacrificed a lot to make this possible. We must equally charge them to remain eternally vigilant and continuously evolve strategies. And to define these strategies, we have to make decisions based not on fear, but on hard-earned wisdom,” Aregbesola was quoted as saying.
“I have also informed our officers and men here that they must fight to defend our institutions, territory, and constitution. It also applies to all others wherever they are posted in Nigeria. The ragtag groups of opportunists must not be allowed to attack our institutions and get away. They must not live to tell the story.
“So far, no jailbreak by inmates has been successful. We have successfully quelled all of them. What we have reoccurring since the #EndSARS protests of October 2020 has been a mass of people attacking our facilities from outside and setting the inmates free.
“However, I have now directed the Controller General of the NCoS to double his efforts on intelligence gathering to fortify and prevent breaches to the Custodial Centres beyond the use of arms and force.”
