ABUJA, Sept 15 (Reuters) – Severe floods in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria, led to the collapse of prison walls, allowing 281 inmates to escape, authorities confirmed on Sunday.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!According to Umar Abubakar, spokesperson for the Nigeria Correctional Services, the flooding severely damaged the Medium Security Custodial Centre, as well as the staff quarters in the city. He added that security agencies have launched operations to track down the escapees, and seven of the inmates have been recaptured so far.
“The floods brought down the walls of the correctional facilities, which enabled the escape,” Abubakar said, confirming that efforts are still underway to recover the remaining fugitives.
Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, has been hit by the worst floods in decades. The flooding began last week when heavy rains caused a dam to overflow, destroying a state-owned zoo and releasing crocodiles and snakes into nearby communities.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reports that the flood has killed at least 30 people, while over a million have been affected, many of whom have been forced into displacement camps.
Recapture operations are ongoing as authorities work to restore order in the region.
