26th November, 2012
The identity of the gun men could not be ascertained but the police claimed that they successfully repelled them.
“I can confirm that there was an attempted attack on the (special anti-robbery squad) this morning which was repelled,” police spokesman Frank Mba said, adding that the attackers were “suspected gunmen”.
Fresh information confirmed that in the confusion that followed the attack, 30 detainees escaped, although now claimed that they were able to re-arrest 25 of them.
“In the confusion that ensued, about 30 suspects in the detention facilities of (the squad) broke out of the cells and attempted to escape,” a police statement said.
“Tactical and coordinated efforts to re-arrest the fleeing suspects yielded instant results. So far, 25 of the suspects have been re-arrested, while five suspects originally being held in relation to robbery related offences are currently at large.”
It added that “no explosive or IED-related materials were used in the botched attack.”
The SARS HQ is one of the places Boko Haram suspects are normally held when transferred to Abuja. The facility was a subject of Amnesty International spotlight last month, with the human rights agency claiming that close to 100 Boko Haram members were being detained there.
It was not clear if the Boko Haram militants were responsible for Monday’s attack.
The SARS headquarters was heavily fortified today, according to reporters who visited after the attack.
Yesterday, two suicide bombers attacked worshippers of the St Andrew Military Protestant Church in Jaji, Kaduna, killing 11 people and injuring 30 others. The latter attack came 48 hours after the army authorities declared 19 Boko Haram leaders wanted and offered rewards of between N50million and N10million for information that could lead to their capture.
The FCT Police Commissioner, Aderenle Shinaba said he would address the media on the latest attack in the Nigerian capital.