BREAKING NEWS: Nigerian Presidential Villa Aso Rock, Boko Haram Jail Break: Heavy Gunfire, SSS Repel Attack!

There have been heavy gunfire exchanges around the vicinity of Nigeria’s presidential palace and the headquarters of the Department of State Services in the Asokoro District of  Abuja in the past few hours, security sources and residents of the area said.

Sources said it was an attempt by detained members of Nigeria’s terrorist group, the Boko Haram to break free at the facility where are being held at the SSS HQ Abuja.

The expansive headquarters of the State Security Service, popularly known as Yellow House, is almost adjacent one of the remote gates of the presidential villa.

Residents of the nearby Aso Drive Area said the gunshots were either coming out of the SSS headquarters or the presidential villa.

“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.”

A security source said the incident happened when inmates disarmed one of the guards, hitting him with their handcuffs before seizing his rifle and shooting him.

The condition of the guard was not immediately known.

“The sporadic gun shots heard after the incident were by the service personnel as a show of force,” the source added.

A number of Nigerian newspaper websites and users of social media claimed that the detainees were Boko Haram suspects but did not quote sources.