According to news reports no fewer than 6,675 inmates, including high-profile Boko Haram terrorists and murderers, have escaped in 13 separate jailbreaks that hit Nigerian custodial centres in the last five years.
2,032 (30.4 per cent) of the escapees have been recaptured by security operatives, while 4,643 (69.5 per cent) remain at large. The latest jailbreak occurred on Tuesday, 10 September in Borno State, where 280 inmates escaped from the Maiduguri Medium Security Custodial Centre following severe flooding in the capital city.
The inmates fled after a portion of the perimeter fence of the facility was pulled down by the flood. An official confirmed that some Boko Haram commanders held in the facility escaped. “The rain was torrential and caused a terrible flood which affected our facility.
Part of the wall of the Maiduguri New Prison collapsed, and some Boko Haram commanders escaped with other prisoners,” the source stated. Another source said that the prison was undergoing an upgrade when the incident occurred.
