Nigeria Police, Imo Governor Had Actionable Intels To Avert Prison Attack – Former SSS Boss

Dennis Amachree, a former Assistant Director of the State Security Service (SSS) has said the Nigeria Police and Hope Uzodimma, Governor of Imo State had actionable intelligence on the coordinated attacks on Monday, April 5 by separatist fighters but failed to avert them. 

“There is enough intelligence, enough actionable intelligence. Actionable in the sense that it allows for space for people to execute it. One week ahead of this particular event, of course, 72 hours before the event and then of course 48 hours before the event,” Amachree said during a Channels Television show, Sunrise Daily on Thursday. 

“Three times, the Nigeria Police was informed by the DSS that this is going to happen. Some suspects that are being relocated around the area were found surveilling the prisons and the police headquarters.”

A correctional facility in Owerri, Imo State capital was attacked by an armed group on Monday and over 1000 inmates were freed. On the same day, the Police Headquarters in the capital city came under attack with many vehicles parked on the premises razed, while the armoury was also suspected to have been looted. 

“But you know in our lackadaisical way when the intelligence will come they throw it by the side and then of course when something happens, everybody runs around,” the former secret police chief added. 

“I listened to the governor’s speech. He is correct in the sense that there is an investigation still going on very sure he is very aware of some of the root causes and the people that are involved because I know that the security agencies are feeding him with reports as they go along.”

Amachree further said the Police are the “actioning party” who should have taken necessary steps to ensure that the security intelligence provided was utilised.

He also disclosed that Mohammed Adamu, the immediate former Inspector-General of Police, did not get his facts right before alleging that the separatist fighters of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were behind the attacks.

Adamu had said a preliminary investigation by the Police had revealed that attacks on the correctional facility and police headquarters were perpetrated by IPOB members.

HumAngle earlier reported how the assailants stormed the Owerri Correctional Centre around midnight on Monday.

According to Francis Enobore, the spokesperson of the correctional centre, the attackers arrived in several Hilux vans and Sienna buses, armed with sophisticated weapons.

Hope Uzodimma, the state governor, while also featuring on the Channels Television show on Thursday disclosed that 85 of the 1,844 inmates who escaped from the Owerri Custodial Centre have voluntarily returned to the facility.

During the interview, he also blamed the attacks on security facilities in the state on aggrieved politicians, contrary to the claim by the former IGP, saying their aim was to destabilise his government and that of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He insisted that it was a direct attack on his government, noting that security agencies have gathered intelligence on the sponsors of the thugs and their plans that led to the attack on government establishments in the state.