UPDATED: Boko Haram Attack SSS Headquarters, Military Aircrafts Hover Over Presidential Villa

 

There was shooting in the vicinity of Nigeria’s Presidential palace and the headquarters of the Department of State Services in the Asokoro District of Abuja.
The expansive headquarters of the State Security Service, popularly known as Yellow House, is adjacent to one of the remote gates of the Presidential villa.
According to security sources and residents of the nearby Aso Drive area, the gunshots were either coming out of the SSS headquarters or the Presidential villa.

One local resident said, “We don’t know what’s going on here. Heavy gunfire has been coming from the direction of the villa. The entire area has been barricaded. SSS operatives are scampering out of their headquarters as the gunshots get louder.

 

“Soldiers are now heading in the direction of the SSS headquarters with Armoured Personnel Carriers. Those of us living around here have been asked to stay indoors and not venture out.”

The spokesperson of the SSS, Marilyn Ogar, said there was an attempted jailbreak at the Service’s headquarters by suspected members of Boko Haram sect, hence, the shooting.

She said, “What happened was that the suspects handlers went to feed the detainees here but suddenly they attacked him with their handcuffs, disarmed him and started shooting.

“The military was quickly called in before they could do any harm and that is responsible for the shootings you heard. It was an attempted jailbreak but it has been brought under control.”

The SSS spokesperson provided no details on how the detainees, held in the highly-fortified complex, got hold of guns. It is also not clear yet if there were any casualties in the attack.
According to the latest reports, military helicopters have been deployed and are now hovering around the area.