Kuje jailbreak: NDLEA arrests fleeing terror suspect with drug in Abuja

The police command in Niger has recaptured one of the inmates in Suleja who escaped during the recent jailbreak at the Kuje Medium Security Correctional Centre in Abuja on July 5.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that scores of terrorists had on July 5, launched a daring attack on the facility and bombed their way in and released 879 inmates including 64 with terror-related charges.

A statement issued in Minna on Monday by the command’s Public Relation’s Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, said that a patrol team on surveillance between the General Hospital, Suleja and Bakassi, arrested the fugitive on July 9 at 8:30p.m.

He explained that based on credible intelligence, the police patrol team stormed an identified compound and arrested one Kazeem Murtala aged 54 years.

During interrogation, the inmate confessed that he escaped from Kuje Custodial Center during the attack and had been in custody for two years for an offence he committed.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Niger Command, Mr Monday Bala Kuryas, has commended the efforts of the patrol team.

The statement quoted Kuryas as directing that the inmate should be handed back to the custodial center, which has been complied with.

The CP equally appreciated members of the public for giving useful intelligence to the Police that facilitated the quick arrest of the fleeing fugitive.

The command urged residents to continue to support with reliable information that could aid in apprehending other suspected criminals and to combat crime and criminality in the state.

In a related development, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested one of the wanted terror suspects who escaped from the Medium Security Correctional Centre, Kuje in Abuja, following an attack on the facility by terrorists.

The Director of Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, who confirmed this in a statement on Monday identified the suspect as Suleiman Sidi.

Checks by Channels Television also showed that the suspect hailed from Borno State in the north-east region of the country.

Although the pictures are the same, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) had while declaring the suspect alongside 68 others wanted, identified him as Suleiman Idi.

“The fleeing suspect, Suleiman Sidi, was arrested in the early hours of Monday 11th July at Area 1 Motor Park in the Federal Capital Territory while attempting to board a commercial vehicle to Maiduguri, Borno State,” said Babafemi.

“When he was searched, three wraps of cannabis sativa were found on him. During a preliminary interview, the wanted terror suspect confirmed he was remanded at the Kuje correctional centre for terrorism and robbery charges, adding that he was indeed one of the inmates who escaped from the facility last Tuesday.

“While commending the officers and men of the FCT Command of the Agency for the arrest and their vigilance, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has directed that the wanted suspect should be immediately handed over to the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS.”

Suleiman’s arrest came three days after another suspected terrorist who fled the correctional facility, Hassan Hassan, was recaptured in Nasarawa State.

The 67 other fleeing suspects declared wanted include Abdulkareem Musa, Abdusalami Adamu, Abubakar Abdulrahman Habibu, Abubakar Mohammed Sadiq, Abubakar Mohammed, Abubakar Yusuf, Adam Lawal Muhammad, Akibu Musa Danjuma,  Amodu Omale Salihu, Bello Haruna, Bilyaminu Usman, Bukar Ali, Ibrahim Mohammed, Ikya Abur, Ismail Idris Abdullahi, Modu Aji, Mohammed Sani, and Musa Abubakar.

Also declared wanted are Mustapha Umar, Mustapha Umar, Shehu Abdullahi, Suleiman Zacharia, Sunday Micheal, Yakubu Abdullahi, Yasir Ibrahim Salihu, Yunusa Mukaiya, Abdulmannan Obadiki, Abubakar Mohammed Musa, Abubakar Umar, Adamu Mohammed, Ahmadu Hagola, Asama Haruna Kanti, Baluye Modu, Bassey Victor Kingsley, Diko Iko, Fannami Alhaji Bukar, Faruku Waziri, Ibrahim Musa, Idris Ojo, and Ishaq Farouk.

Others are Mohammed Goni Kyari, Mohammed Guja, Mohammed Saleh Buba, Mohammed Umar, Mukhtar Ussaini Khalidu, Musa Adamu, Musa Umar, Onyemire Asagba, Rabiu Shaibu, Sahabi Ismail, Sani Mohammed, Umar Ahmadu Ladan, Usman Balarebe, Yahaya Adamu Abubakar, Yusuf Yakubu, Abdulazeez Obadaki, Auwal Abubakar, Mansur Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Abubakar, Mohammed Jamiu Eneji Sani, Muazu Abubakar, Muhammed Sani Adamu, Muktar Umar, Nambil Zakari Gambo, Sadiq Garba Abubakar, Yazid Muhammed Usman, Yusuf Ali Yusuf. (Pieced together from reports in NAN and Channels TV)