President Muhammadu Buhari has described Monday’s attack on the police command headquarters and the correctional facility in Owerri, Imo State as an act of terrorism.
The president, therefore, directed security agencies to go after the assailants and bring them to justice.
This was disclosed on Monday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement on Twitter titled “President Buhari condemns daring terrorist attacks in Imo.”
The statement by Shehu read, “President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the deadly insurgent attack that took place on the Police Command Headquarters and the Correctional Facility in Owerri, Imo State, on Monday, calling it an act of terrorism.
“In his reaction to the incident early on Monday, President Buhari praised the initial response by security guards and security forces for preventing greater loss of life and the destruction of public property.
“The President directed security and intelligence agencies in the state and the geo-political zone to fully mobilize and go after the terrorists, apprehend them and get them punished under the full weight of the law.
“He also called for the best efforts to be made to rearrest fleeing prison detainees, many of whom are believed to be deadly criminals.
“President Buhari then appealed to members of the public to assist the law enforcement agencies with any relevant information that could lead to the apprehension of these criminals who perpetrated this despicable act.
“He also urged members of the public to be vigilant as all of us have a stake in preserving our way of life from disruption by terrorists and anarchists while the Federal Government will use every available tool at its disposal to confront and terminate this bare-faced anarchy.”
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) had earlier said 1,844 inmates escaped following the attack on its custodial centre in Owerri on Monday.
Francis Enobore, the spokesperson for the correctional centre disclosed this in a statement.
