Following severe flooding in Nigeria's Borno state, a total of 274 inmates managed to escape custody after the walls of a prison were torn down. The incident occurred as the inmates were being transferred to a supposedly safe facility, with 281 initially escaping and seven later recaptured, according to Nigerian Correctional Service spokesman Abubakar Umar.
The flooding not only affected the prison but also caused damage to the medium security custodial center Maiduguri and staff quarters in the city. The Correctional Service has identified the escapees and made their biometric information public, continuing the search efforts to locate them.
These events come amidst weeks of widespread flooding in Nigeria, resulting in 229 fatalities and displacing over 386,000 individuals, as reported by the country's disaster management agency NEMA. The northern regions, particularly Borno state in the northeast, have borne the brunt of the flooding.
Furthermore, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency has issued warnings about rising water levels in the Niger River, urging states to remain vigilant. Climate change projections indicate an increase in extreme rainfall events across Africa, including Nigeria, due to global warming.
Recently, floodwaters from an overflowing dam in northern Nigeria inundated a zoo, leading to the escape of animals such as crocodiles and snakes into nearby communities. The situation remains critical as authorities work to manage the aftermath of the floods and ensure the safety and security of the affected areas.
