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Military Officers who nabbed terrorists that escaped from Kuje Prison in danger — Lawyer

Nigerian Military Troops

The lives of some gallant military officers who masterminded the arrest of several Boko Haram Terrorists who were among inmates that escaped after an attack on the Kuje Prison in Abuja on Tuesday are in “grave” danger, PRNigeria can authoritatively report.

Recall that ISWAP fighters on Tuesday attacked Kuje Prison, freeing hardened criminals into the nation’s capital.

PRNigeria reported that the insurgents stormed the facility at about 10pm, detonating explosives and opening live rounds on state agents guarding the facility.

Soldiers and other security personnel around the facility reportedly fled when the attackers arrived in large numbers of motorcycles.

It was gathered that the terrorists, who fled after fighters of the Islamic State of West African Province bombed Kuje Prison, have vowed to “eliminate” the military commanders behind their arrest and detention.

Most of the terrorists who had spent years at the custodial facility were said to have been arrested by some military officers ‘involuntarily’ retired from service in 2016.

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Some of the officers, who were unjustly retired but won court judgements for their reinstatement, included Colonel Danladi Ribbah Hassan, Colonel Auwal Suleiman and Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Abdulfatai, had successfully led several daring missions that led to the neutralisation of hundreds of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists, prior to their “sudden” removal from the Nigerian Army.

Hassan, Abdulfatai and Suleiman also got many insurgents arrested and eventually detained, while also preventing bloody attacks on civilian populations and public infrastructural facilities in the North East and Abuja before they were arbitrarily retired, six years ago.

A legal representative of one of the “illegally” retired army officers, told PRNigeria that his client and some other military commanders that led combat operations in the North East a few years back, which resulted in the killing and arrest of terrorists, have received threat messages from Boko Haram and ISWAP.

He said: “My client’s life and that of his colleagues are in serious danger.

“We don’t know what the terrorists are planning to do to them.

“The military and other relevant security agencies must act fast.”

The counsel, while declining to give his name, expressed dismay over the refusal of the present military hierarchy to facilitate the reinstatement of his clients and others in line with several court rulings in their favour.

He, however, said that he would still not persists in writing letters of appeal to relevant authorities to intervene and get justice for the forcefully retired officers.

He said: “It is gratifying to note that the present Service Chiefs do not have an objection to the court ruling.

“Moreover, they were not behind the travails of my client and his colleagues.

“But our concern is the Minister of Defence. He has refused to act and do the needful.

“Nevertheless, we shall not relent in writing and exploring every possible avenue that will get justice for the retired senior army officers.”

According to the counsel, his client, whose name he will not mention, and some of his colleagues are still committed to serving the Nigerian military and have even pledged to tackle criminal bandits terrorising States in the North Central and North West, together with the Federal Capital, if they are reinstated.

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