“Borno Jailbreak Crisis: 278 Convicts Still Missing Two Months After Flood Disaster”

Babatunji Wusu –

Two months after catastrophic flooding severely damaged the Borno State correctional facility, 278 inmates are still unaccounted for. The flooding, which affected Maiduguri, the state’s capital, destroyed vital infrastructure, including roads, bridges, hospitals, and the medium-security custodial center. As a result, 281 inmates escaped from the facility.

Abubakar Umar, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Correctional Service, provided an official statement confirming the breach: “The flood destroyed the walls of the correctional facilities, including the medium-security custodial center in Maiduguri, as well as the staff quarters in the city. After officers, with assistance from other security agencies, evacuated the inmates to safer facilities, 281 inmates were reported missing.”

Since the incident, the Borno State Police Command has managed to recapture three of the escapees. Police Public Relations Officer, Nahum Daso, identified them as Auwalu Aminu, Abubakar Mohammed, and Kyari Kur.

Daso elaborated on their recapture efforts, revealing that Kur was arrested on October 10 after police in Gubio town received credible intelligence about his whereabouts. “The police acted swiftly and arrested him in Gubio,” he said. Similarly, Abubakar Mohammed’s rearrest was made possible by a tip-off from a local resident in Bulakara Ward, Gubio LGA, on September 15. A police patrol team swiftly responded and apprehended Mohammed.

The third escapee, Aminu, was captured on October 16 by police from the Bama Area Command and Banki Divisional Headquarters, following another tip-off in Banki town.

In an interview with *The PUNCH*, Daso confirmed that the search operation remains ongoing, with authorities committed to locating the remaining fugitives. “So far, four escapees have been re-arrested and handed back to the correctional service,” he confirmed.

Daso emphasized that police efforts continue to intensify, with authorities dedicated to ensuring the apprehension of all remaining suspects.