A Nigerian Army personnel and a Policeman have been confirmed dead in the attack on a facility of the Nigeria Correctional Service in Kogi State.
The development was confirmed in a statement by Sola Fasure, the Media Adviser to the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola.
In the statement made available on Monday, hours after the attack, two officials of the NCoS were also declared missing as at press time.
Fasure said Aregbesola had been briefed by the Controller General of the NCoS, Haliru
Nababa, on the attack on Kabba Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kabba, Kogi State by the yet-to-be-identified gunmen.
No one as at press time had claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to Fasure, during the attack, security officers on duty, which comprised of 15 Soldiers, 10 Police Officers and 10 armed guards of the NCoS, “fought gallantly to repel the attack.
“Regrettably, two officers of the Correctional Service are yet to be accounted for while one soldier and a policeman lost their lives during the attack.”
He said the custodial facility had 294 inmates as at the time of the attack, many of whom escaped after the gunmen used explosives to destroy three sides of the perimeter fence.
However, there remains 28 inmates who didn’t escape, adding that some have also voluntarily returned to the facility as at Monday morning.
Nababa was reported to be monitoring the situation, while tour of the facility is also ongoing.
Fasure added: “A Crisis Response Centre has been activated and a Special Taskforce mobilized to recapture escaped inmates whilst an Inter-Agency Security Task Force is already on the trail of the gunmen who attacked the facility.
“The public is advised to stay calm as the situation is under control.
“The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, assures the citizenry that Nigeria’s security forces will find the attackers and bring them to justice. We shall leave no stone unturned to bring them back to custody.
“We are also putting INTERPOL on notice with their details, in case any of them attempts fleeing outside our shores.
“We urge the people, especially the communities around the custodial facility, to be vigilant and report any strange and suspicious persons or activities to the nearest law enforcement agency.
“To the fleeing inmates, escaping from lawful custody is a serious criminal offence. Law enforcement agencies and citizens are lawfully empowered to use all necessary means to arrest and bring you to justice. You should therefore know what you are up against. You will however be eligible for mitigation if you wilfully surrender yourselves at the nearest law enforcement office.
“The Nigeria Correctional Service shall not be cowed by elements seeking to compromise the security of our nation; we shall deal with this situation with absolute resolve.
“Further updates will be provided after the end of the preliminary assessment.”