Hundreds Of Inmates In Nigeria Escape Due To The Wall Of A Roboh Prison Hit By Floods

Illustration (Photo: Doc Antara)

A total of 274 inmates at the Middle Correctional Institution in Maiduguri City, northeastern Nigeria, escaped by taking advantage of the collapse of the prison wall due to large floods, Sunday, September 15.

The inmates escaped from the Middle Penitentiary, an old prison in Maiduguri, after the prison wall collapsed due to a major flood, Umar Abubakar, a spokesman for the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), said in a statement.

"Floods destroyed the walls of correctional facilities, including the Maiduguri (MSCC) center of intermediate security detention and the staff complex in the city," Abubakar said as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, September 16.

He said, initially 281 inmates were missing after the examination was carried out by prison service officers.

However, seven inmates were later arrested and returned to the facility. Thus, there are 274 inmates who are still at large.

Correctional institutions are working with other security agencies across the country to arrest prisoners who are still on the run.

On September 10, a large flood hit Maiduguri, causing damage to schools, hospitals, government offices, banks and commercial areas, markets, zoos, places of worship, houses, and prisons.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed 37 deaths and 58 injuries as a result of flood-related incidents.

Authorities said more than one million people were affected by the flood and 414,000 others were displaced.

Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo who visited the area on Wednesday, September 11 described the flood as a devastating disaster.