Nigeria’s former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and resident of the Asokoro District of Abuja where the SSS headquarters is located, Nasir El-Rufai, took to social media to alert people about a shooting near the presidential palace. He posted on his Facebook page: “Exchange of gunfire still going on with helicopter gunship hovering over the Aso Drive neighborhood of Maitama adjoining the SSS Headquarters.”

“Residents of the nearby Aso Drive Area said the gunshots were either coming out of the SSS headquarters or the presidential villa,” reports Premium Times.

SSS spokesperson, Marilyn Ogar, said the gunshots were triggered by attempted jailbreak at the Service’s headquarters by suspected members of the extremist Boko Haram sect.

“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,” she said.

“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.”