An insider in the Kirikiri Medium Security Prison, Lagos State, has narrated to FIJ how 101 suspected Boko Haram terrorists were released from the facility on Saturday morning.
Speaking to FIJ on Sunday, the source said wardens at the facility let them out of the medium and maximum security facilities as part of a swap deal with the terrorists for the release of travellers who were abducted in Kaduna on March 28.
They told FIJ that the freed terror suspects had been awaiting trial since 2009, and had spoken about their release happening before a new administration took over.
READ MORE: THE INSIDER: Boko Haram Gave 15-Min Quranic Lecture to Kuje Inmates Before Setting Them Free
The source said, “They secretly released 101 Boko Haram suspects at about 6 am. The negotiations had been ongoing for some months.
“We used to pray together. During prayers, they spoke Hausa, and they told me they would be going home by October.
“Early yesterday (Saturday) morning, they owned the cell door and called them out. They had returned their properties already.
“I used to speak with one Adamu in G3 cell. He is no longer here. He is tall and slim, and has a long face.
READ ALSO: All Boko Haram Suspects in Kuje Prison Escaped During Invasion, Says Defence Minister
“They told me that their release was based on negotiations and the pressure their sponsors gave Buhari. They felt if they didn’t get released before a new president, who might not be their tribesman, took the seat, they might not be granted amnesty.
“The controller of corrections, Ben-Rabbi Freeman, had been there multiple times to meet with them.”
The source said the freed inmates knew of the Kuje jailbreak before it occurred, and had shared the details without mentioning specific dates.
This source also said the freed inmates did not usually associate themselves with other inmates unless they were Hausa speakers, and had been prepped on how to stay off the radar after their release.
“When they spoke about their release, I asked how I would reach them, and they said they had been warned not to open bank accounts and use mobile lines, as it would be easier to track them,” the source added.
The inmates released, according to this source, are:
Muhammad Ridwan
Malam Aji
Muhammad Bukar
Kachala Umara
Tijjani Ibrahim
Abba Hassan
Muhammad Tahir
Abdurrahman Muhammad
Musa Fushimngamdu
Isyaku Haladu
Muhammad Musa
Abubakar Aminami
Muhammad Tahir Mahmud Tchad
Muhammad Muhammad
Abdullahi Adamu
Idriss Abubakar
Adamualkasim
Abdullahi Abubakar
Baffa Ajibukar
Modukime Sale
Alhaji Modugrema
Ahmad Abuzar
Baba Ganawali
Yunusa Ibrahim Sabo
Adam Konto
Muhammad Muktar
Abba Hassan
