On July 5, 2022, theIslamic State launched a coordinated attack onKuje prison, near the Nigerian capital ofAbuja. The attack killed five people and freed 879 inmates, although almost half were recaptured in the following days.
Kuje prison is one of the largest prisons in Abuja, and in the months leading up to the attack, over 5,000 prisoners had been released in prison breaks orchestrated by various militant groups.[1] On the day of the attack, there were 65 military, police, and prison guards on guard at the prison.[2] Prior to the attack, 994 prisoners were registered as serving time in Kuje.[3] Some of the prisoners included high-profile suspects such as former top Nigerian police officer Abba Kyari, indicted in a money laundering operation, along with 68 convicted Islamic State and Boko Haram militants.[1][3][4] There was also no CCTV footage in the prison prior to the attack.[5] A former Boko Haram detainee speaking toInstitute for Security Studies stated that he was in contact with ISWAP members outside the jail through cellphones, and that they "communicated easily."[4]
On the night of July 5, Islamic State militants, with the aid ofAnsaru, launched three simultaneous attacks on different sides of the prison.[6] Immediately before the breakout, imprisoned ISIS leaders gave a 15-minute long sermon to other members of the group.[7] Using small arms and explosive devices, around 100 attackers broke in, destroying parts of the prison and burning eight vehicles.[8][6] One bomb at the front gates killed a Nigerian prison guard and injured three others, and four inmates were killed during the attack.[9] Overall, a total of 16 officers and inmates were injured in the attack.[9] Of the 994 present at the time of the attack, 879 inmates broke out, however 443 had been recaptured by the following day.[3][9] Many high-profile members were still unaccounted for in the days following the jailbreak, including Kyari,Joshua Dariye andJolly Nyame, former governors ofPlateau andTaraba states respectively.[10] The attack took 50 minutes from start to finish.[6]
By July 8, 443 inmates were still on the loose.[11] In the aftermath, Major General Bashir Magashi released photos of 69 high-profile inmates still unaccounted for, including many members of Boko Haram.[12] This number was bumped down to 64 in the following days.[6] The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on the day of, calling it "Breaking the Walls campaign".[6]
Abba Kyari was recaptured on July 20.[13] A political leader in Plateau State, Elkanah Garang, called for the immediate release of some suspects, as they had been pardoned by Nigerian presidentMuhammadu Buhari earlier in the year.[14] Buhari had claimed to release a detailed report on the attack in November, although this did not happen.[15]
Nigeria
ISWAP
Ansaru