Two months after floods hit the Borno State Correctional Facility on September 10, 278 inmates remain missing.
Flooding in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, destroyed key infrastructure such as roads, bridges, hospitals and medium security prisons, leading to the escape of 281 inmates.
A spokesman for the Nigerian Correctional Service, Abubakar Umar, confirmed the situation, saying, “The floodwaters caused the collapse of walls of correctional facilities, including the medium security prison in Maiduguri, as well as staff quarters in the city.
“281 detainees were reported missing after military personnel with the support of sister security agencies evacuated the detainees to safe facilities.”
Since the incident, the Borno State Police have managed to arrest three of the escapees. Police spokesman Nahum Daso identified them as Auwal Aminu, Abubakar Mohammed and Kyari Cool.
Providing further details, Daso said: “Kur was arrested on October 10 after police at Gubio Divisional Headquarters received credible information on his whereabouts. Daso said the police acted swiftly and arrested him in Gubio town.”
In another statement, Daso said: “The rearrest of Muhammad was prompted when residents of Bulakara Area, Gubio Local State, saw Abubakar in Gubio town at about 3pm on September 15, 2024 and alerted the police. After escaping from the Medium Security Custody Centre, Maiduguri.
Following a swift response by police patrols, the escaped prisoner was arrested.”
The latest rearrest was on October 16, when police officers from Bama Area Command and Banki Divisional Headquarters, acting on a tip-off, arrested Aminu in Banki.
In an interview with The Punch in Maiduguri on Monday, Daso confirmed that search operations are still ongoing and that the police are determined to locate the remaining fugitives.
Daso also confirmed that the re-arrested inmates were being returned to prison custody. “Efforts to arrest other fugitive suspects are ongoing and we will continue to inform the public of our breakthroughs and successes.
“At least four suspects have been rearrested so far and handed over to the Bureau of Corrections,” he confirmed.