Defence minister Bashir Magashi says the 64 Boko Haram suspects who escaped from the Kuje custodial centre after Tuesday night attack are yet to be found.

Mr Magashi said this while addressing journalists after taking an assessment tour of the facility. He confirmed that the attack started around 10:30 p.m. with heavy gunfire and explosions.

The minister said heavily armed Boko Haram members stormed the federal prison facility in their numbers, bombed their way in and released some of the inmates who are now at large.

“Most likely, they are Boko Haram members because we have a sizable number of Boko Haram suspects in detention, and presently we cannot locate any of them,” the minister noted. “I think they are about 64 in the prison and none of them are available now, they have all escaped.”

Mr Magashi, who said some of the other inmates have been recaptured around the area, however, noted that investigations were still being done to ascertain the number of missing inmates.

“Very soon, we will give you the correct figure of the inmates that were taken. Aside from that, we are trying to see what we can do to ensure that all escapees are returned.

“The prison is accommodating about 994 inmates, over 600 escaped and many have been recaptured and brought back to the prison.

“Maybe by the close of the day, more will have been captured and returned.

“I think everything is under control,” he said.

 (NAN)