Seven out of 281 inmates who escaped from the correctional center in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, have been recaptured.
The recapture of these inmates occurred after severe flooding caused damage to various public and private facilities in Maiduguri and other areas of the state.
The Nigerian Correctional Service confirmed on Sunday that approximately seven escapees have been retaken and placed back in custody.
The statement released by the Service’s Public Relations Officer, Umar Abubakar, mentioned that the flooding on Tuesday caused the collapse of the walls of the correctional facilities in Maiduguri, including the Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC) and the staff quarters in the city.
Abubakar stated that after the inmates were evacuated to a safe facility by the Service’s officers with assistance from other security agencies, it was discovered that 281 inmates were unaccounted for.
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He also indicated that the Service has the escapees’ details, including their biometrics, and is making this information available to the public.
The pictures of the fleeing prisoners were also circulated on Sunday.
“The Service is working in synergy with other security agencies as both covert and overt deployments have been activated to look out for them.
“Presently, a total of seven (7) inmates have been recaptured and returned to custody, while efforts are on the ground to track down the rest and bring them back to safe custody.
“While this effort is on, the public is assured that the incident does not impede or affect public safety”, the statement added.
