THE Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has declared 281 inmates missing after evacuation of inmates by officers of the Service, with support from sister security agencies, to a safe and secure facility, following the recent devastating floods that collapsed the walls at its facilities in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, making it possible for 281 prisoners to escape.
Seven of the escaped inmates have been recaptured in operations by security agencies, while operations to recapture the remainder of the escaped inmates were underway.
NCoS spokesman, Umar Abubakar, in a statement on Sunday, September 15, said: “The floods brought down the walls of the correctional facilities, including the Medium Security Custodial Centre, as well as the staff quarters in the city.
“However, it is important to note that the Service is in custody of their details, including their biometrics, which is being made available to the public.
“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 inmates have been recaptured and returned to custody, while efforts are on ground to track down the rest and bring them back to safe custody.
“While this effort is on, the public is assured that the incidence does not impede or affect public safety.”
Recall that Maiduguri was suffered its worst floods in decades last week following the overflowed of Alu Dam after heavy rains, also destroying the state-owned zoo and washing crocodiles and snakes into flooded communities.
At least 30 persons have been reportedly died due to the flood, which affected a million others, with hundreds of thousands of residents forced into camps for displaced persons.
