The police leadership in Nigeria has given an official account of how gunmen suspected to members of Boko Haram in the wee hours of today attacked the premises of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) at the Federal Capital Territory Police Command in Abuja.

Deputy Force Public Relations Officer Frank E. Mba said in a statement that the attack started at about 2:00 a.m., and lasted only few minutes as it was “successfully repelled” by police personnel on duty.

“There was exchange of gun battle for some minutes as the policemen on duty responded quickly. Over 30 suspects in detention broke out of the cells in an attempt to escape,” Mba said, adding:

“Efforts made to capture the suspects were successful; so far 25 of the suspects have been re-arrested while five (5) suspects originally being held in relation to robbery related offences are currently at large.

“No suspect held for terror related charges, escaped, no explosive or IED-related materials were used in the botched attack.”

He said that Police Inspector General MD Yusuf has “ordered water-tight security around all government and police related facilities nationwide.”

Mba appealed to “Nigerians for calm while reassuring them of their safety to perform its constitutional and statutory responsibilities of providing adequate security for the state and the entire citizenry.”

News Express reports that the brazen attack on the police facility came less than a day after suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers successfully car-bombed a church in an army barracks in the northern state of Kaduna – less than two hours by road from Abuja – killing 11 people.

•Photo: IGP MD Yusuf.