A total of 281 prisoners escaped from a correctional facility in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria, after severe flooding collapsed the prison walls early last week, Nigeria Correctional Services spokesperson Umar Abubakar announced on Sunday.
The mass escape occurred at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, which has been grappling with its worst floods in decades. “The floods brought down the walls of the correctional facilities as well as the staff quarters in the city,” Abubakar stated in an official release.
As of Sunday, only seven of the escaped inmates had been recaptured in operations conducted by various security agencies. Abubakar assured that efforts to apprehend the remaining escapees are ongoing, though he did not provide details on the specific measures being taken.
The flooding, which began when a dam overflowed following heavy rains, has had far-reaching consequences beyond the prison break. It decimated a state-owned zoo, washing crocodiles and snakes into flooded communities, adding to the risks faced by local residents.
According to Nigeria’s emergency agency, the floods have claimed at least 30 lives and affected a million others across the region. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to seek shelter in camps for displaced persons, exacerbating the humanitarian challenges in an area already grappling with insurgency and economic hardship.
The prison break raises serious concerns about security in the region, which has long been troubled by the Boko Haram insurgency. Local authorities have not yet commented on whether any high-risk prisoners were among those who escaped or if there are fears of increased criminal activity in the aftermath of the breakout.
This incident highlights the vulnerability of Nigeria’s infrastructure to extreme weather events, which experts warn may become more frequent due to climate change. It also underscores the need for improved disaster preparedness and response mechanisms, particularly in sensitive areas such as correctional facilities.
As search operations continue, local residents have been urged to report any suspicious activities or sightings of the escaped prisoners to the authorities. The Nigeria Correctional Services has not yet released information about the identities or criminal backgrounds of the escapees, citing ongoing investigations.
The Maiduguri prison break is the latest in a series of security challenges facing Nigeria’s correctional system. In recent years, the country has witnessed several prison escapes, some attributed to militant attacks and others to infrastructure failures.
