At least 286 inmates have escaped from the Maiduguri Medium Security Custodial Centre following heavy flooding in the city on Tuesday.
The flood, caused by the collapse of a spillway at Alau Dam, has severely affected the Northeastern city, displacing thousands of residents.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has visited Maiduguri to assess the damage. The Federal Government, in response, has initiated the evacuation of the correctional facility.
According to the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) spokesman, Umar Abubakar, security agencies are working together to ensure public safety, while efforts are underway to recapture the escaped inmates.
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has begun evacuating residents from affected areas and is providing food, shelter, and medical assistance.
The flooding, which started last weekend and intensified on Monday, September 9th, submerged entire neighbourhoods, including Shehuri, G.R.A., and Millionaires Quarters. Over 150,000 individuals and 23,000 households have been impacted, with NEMA expecting the numbers to rise.
Borno State has opened Bakassi Camp to accommodate displaced residents, and the Federal Government has mobilized further resources following President Bola Tinubu’s directive.
NEMA spokesperson Ezekiel Manzo called the flooding “unprecedented,” as areas that had not seen flooding in years are now underwater.
The city’s zoo and post office were also inundated, with concerns that dangerous animals might have escaped into nearby communities.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima, a native of Maiduguri, confirmed the flood was triggered by the rupture of Alau Dam’s spillways, releasing a surge of water downstream that inundated surrounding communities.
