By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
200 inmates have escaped from the Maiduguri New Prison following a devastating flood that brought down part of the prison wall in Borno State’s capital.
An official from the Nigerian Correctional Center in Maiduguri, who requested anonymity, revealed on Tuesday that the flood severely impacted the facility, causing a portion of the perimeter fence to collapse, enabling the prisoners to escape
According to the official, among those who fled were several Boko Haram commanders detained at the facility.
The rain was torrential and caused a terrible flood, which affected our facility. Part of the wall collapsed, and some Boko Haram commanders held in our facility have escaped along with other prisoners. Those who escaped are more than 200 in all,” the source stated.
The official added that about 200 other inmates were successfully relocated to another facility following the incident.
This prison break comes in stark contrast to earlier assurances from the Borno State government, which claimed to have implemented extensive flood preventive measures. However, the situation worsened on Tuesday, four days after those claims were made, as Maiduguri and surrounding communities were hit by a devastating flood.
The flood left many residents stranded and caused widespread destruction and displacement across the city.
When contacted, Abubakar Umar, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, stated, “We’re taking stock across the country. I can speak to the press in two hours, so please call me then for further details.”