By Sade Owoyemi
The Boko Haram terrorists who invaded the Kuje Medium Security Prison, Abuja, on Tuesday night made an attempt on the life of Abba Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and former head of the Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT), but they failed, FIJ can report.
Scores of terrorists had raided the prison on Tuesday night, freeing hundreds of inmates after shooting and bombing their way into the prison yard. They even had the time to deliver a 15-minute lecture before freeing the inmates.
And although the terrorists did not set out to harm inmates, it has now been confirmed to FIJ that gunshots were fired at the cell holding Kyari.
“When they gained access into the facility, the first set of people they set free were inmates from the Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU) section (popularly called ‘Bombblast’ by inmates), and some of them pointed to direction of the cell where Abba Kyari was kept, popularly called ‘Segregation,’” said the source, who cannot be named for security reasons.
“When they had opened everywhere and inmates were still within the compound, close to kitchen side, one of the commanding terrorists ordered that nobody should move yet because some of his boys had gone to Abba Kyari’s side.
“Some two minutes later, three of his boys emerged from the side of the prison yard housing the hospital, which is the same route to the Segregation and the church.
“Immediately he spotted them, he ordered everyone to move outside. He then led the line of inmates and his boys monitored every bend until the inmates got outside.”
From FIJ’s longstanding knowledge of Kuje Prison, the CTU/’Bombblast’ is where inamtes with terrorism-related cases are held.
Continuing, the source said: “They meant to kill Abba Kyari but God saved him because the doors of the segregation are stronger than other doors. They shot at his doors but the iron bed at the Segregation, where he hid himself under, saved him.
“Not just the iron bed, but the door itself, built by Red Cross. It was well-built; the terrorists were unable to break it and I guess they did not want to expend all their time on it. It would have taken them a lot to break it down.”
Meanwhile, the prison service has confirmed that Kyari and his men as well as ex-Governor Joshua Dariye of Plateau State and his Taraba State counterpart are safe and in custody. However, it kept mum on the attempt on Kyari’s life.
Kyari’s travails with the law started in July 2021 when a US court ordered his arrest for allegedly playing a major role in a multi-million dollar fraud perpetrated by Ramon Abbas, better known Hushpuppi, and his co-conspirators.
In August, the Police Service Commission (PSC) officially suspended him, as he was probed by the Nigerian government.
However, on February 14, 2022, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) declared him wanted for his “links to an international drug cartel”, subsequently arresting him the same day.
The agency would later detail how Kyari “tried to strike a hefty deal with its officers over 25kg of seized cocaine”.