Authorities in Nigeria have confirmed that more than 270 inmates escaped after severe flooding damaged a medium-security prison in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. The flooding, caused by a dam collapse following heavy rainfall, has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and claimed at least 30 lives.
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) stated that inmates were being evacuated to a secure location when some managed to escape. So far, seven have been recaptured.
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum described the damage as “beyond human imagination” and noted that some escapees were members of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, though the exact number remains unclear.
NCoS spokesperson Umar Abubakar assured the public that efforts to recapture the fugitives are underway, and the incident poses no threat to public safety. Photos of the missing men have been released, and authorities are urging calm.
