Two months after a catastrophic flood led to a jailbreak in Borno State, 278 escapees are still at large. On September 10, severe flooding hit Maiduguri, the state capital, causing extensive damage to key infrastructure, including a medium-security correctional facility. The flood, which damaged roads, bridges, and other critical assets, led to the escape of 281 inmates as the correctional center’s walls crumbled under the water’s force.

Confirming the situation, Abubakar Umar, spokesperson for the Nigeria Correctional Service, explained, “The flood brought down the walls of the correctional facilities, including the medium-security custodial centre in Maiduguri, as well as the staff quarters.” He further noted that, in the chaos, inmates were evacuated by correctional officers with the support of sister security agencies, but at least 281 prisoners were reported missing during the transfer to a safer facility.

Since the jailbreak, police have managed to re-arrest four escapees, though 278 remain missing. Nahum Daso, the Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, provided details about the recent arrests, identifying the captured escapees as Auwalu Aminu, Abubakar Mohammed, and Kyari Kur. He shared that police in Gubio Divisional Headquarters apprehended Kur on October 10, acting on credible intelligence about his location in Gubio town. Police also re-arrested Mohammed on September 15 after a resident in Bulakara Ward spotted him and alerted authorities. Similarly, Aminu was apprehended on October 16 by police officers from Bama Area Command/Banki Divisional Headquarters after a tip-off revealed his presence in Banki town.

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Daso assured that law enforcement agencies are intensifying search efforts to locate the remaining escapees. “Efforts are still ongoing to arrest the other fleeing suspects, and we will ensure that we will keep on highlighting to the public our breakthroughs and achievements,” he said.

The captured convicts have been returned to the correctional facility, and security efforts remain in full force to track down the remaining escapees. As Borno State continues to recover from the impact of the flood, the local government and law enforcement agencies face dual challenges of restoring order and ensuring public safety.