At least 286 inmates have reportedly escaped from the Maiduguri medium security custodial centre following severe flooding in the capital city on Tuesday.
Already, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, is in Maiduguri to assess the flood’s impact on the facility.
Nevertheless, a statement from the spokesman for the service, Umar Abubakar disclosed that the federal government is working to evacuate the correctional centre.
Umar assured the public that the service is working with sister security agencies to take the necessary measures to ensure public safety.
The Federal Government has also begun the evacuation of residents of the affected communities in the flooding that has ravaged North-Eastern city.
A statement by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Tuesday, said it is also working on the provision of food, shelter and medical assistance for the victims.
The unfortunate flooding situation in the Maiduguri metropolis of Borno State, which started last weekend and increased in the early hours of Monday, 9th September 2024, resulted from excess water from the Alau Dam.
One of the spillways of Alau Dam collapsed, leading to a significant increase in water flow downstream and exacerbating the flooding in surrounding areas.
The areas impacted by the incident include Shehuri, parts of the Government Residential Area (G.R.A.), Gambomi, Budum, Bulabulin, Adamkolo, Millionaires Quarters, Monday Market and Gwange.
As a result, NEMA said the Borno State Government has opened up Bakassi Camp to accommodate those displaced by the flood.
“We are working, alongside the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, in providing humanitarian assistance to the distressed in the camp,” the statement read partly.
NEMA’s response came after President Tinubu ordered the Agency to immediately swing into action, and assist the flood victims.
Unprecedented incident
NEMA has described Tuesday’s flash flood in Maiduguri as an unprecedented incident.
“It is an unprecedented incident,” NEMA spokesman Ezekiel Manzo told AFP on Tuesday. “Some of the central parts of the city that have not witnessed flood in so many years are witnessing it today.”
Thousands of homes have been submerged by the rapid rise of waters after the rupture of the Alau dam on the Ngadda River, 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Maiduguri.
“The last three days have over 150,000 individuals with over 23,000 households affected,” said NEMA zonal coordinator Surajo Garba.
But with more locations being hit, “we are sure the figure will be much over 200,000 individuals,” Garba forecast.
“The flood, which began over the weekend and worsened in the following days, was the direct result of excess water from the Alau Dam,” said Nigeria’s Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who hails from Maiduguri as he visited the area.
“The collapse of the spillways unleashed a significant surge of water downstream, causing widespread flooding in the surrounding communities,” added Shettima.
The flood also inundated the city’s post office and main zoo, with authorities warning that “deadly animals has been washed away into our communities (sic).”
Social media showed pictures of an ostrich which had supposedly escaped from the facility wandering the streets of the city.
