Over 280 Prisoners Escape Following Massive Floods in Northeast Nigeria

Abuja, Nigeria — Over 281 prisoners have escaped from a facility in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State in northeastern Nigeria, following massive floods that overwhelmed the prison's infrastructure. The escape occurred when the devastating floods, triggered by the overflow of the Alau Dam, led to the collapse of the prison walls, allowing inmates to flee. Authorities reported that the floods destroyed the walls of the local prison, facilitating the mass escape.

The incident followed the collapse of a significant dam on September 10, which resulted in deadly floods, claiming 30 lives and displacing over a million people throughout Borno state.

Last week, during an attempted evacuation of Maiduguri’s main correctional facility, officers discovered that the inmates had already made their escape, according to Umar Abubakar, the spokesperson for Nigeria Correctional Services, in a Sunday evening announcement.

Abubakar detailed that the floodwaters demolished not only the Medium Security Custodial Centre’s barriers but also the housing for the staff.

Despite the chaos, security forces have managed to recapture seven escapees, with ongoing efforts to locate the remaining fugitives.

This disaster marks some of the most severe flooding the state has faced since a similar dam failure occurred three decades earlier. State officials noted that the dam had reached its limit following abnormally heavy rainfall.

Two years prior, Nigeria experienced devastating floods that resulted in over 600 fatalities nationwide.

This year, West Africa has seen unprecedented flooding, impacting upwards of 2.3 million people, which triples the figures from 2023, as reported by the United Nations.