More than a hundred inmates are reported to have escaped from a prison in Nigeria following heavy rains that damaged a correctional facility in the Suleja area.
The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) confirmed that inmates absconded from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Niger state.
A prison service spokesperson in a statement said that the heavy downpour which hit the country on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, caused damage to the prison which led to the escape of at least 118 inmates.
According to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) command of NCoS spokesperson Adamu Duza, the inmates escaped after the prison’s perimeter fence was damaged.
“A heavy downpour that lasted for several hours on the night of Wednesday, 24 April 2024, has wreaked havoc on the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Suleja, Niger state, as well as surrounding buildings, destroying part of the custodial facility, including its perimeter fence, giving way to the escape of a total of 118 inmates of the facility,” reads part of the statement.
Duza noted that authorities have since launched an operation to hunt down the fugitives.
Nigeria Lauches for Escaped Inmates
He said that they rolled out recapture mechanisms to bring back fleeing prisoners immediately upon learning of the incident.
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The spokesperson while speaking to the press further revealed that they have so far recaptured 10 of them,
“The Service wishes to assure the public that it is on top of the situation and that they should go about their businesses without fear or hindrance. The public is further enjoined to look out for the fleeing inmates and report any suspicious movement to the nearest security agency. We are in hot chase to recapture the rest,” said Duza.
Nigerian publication Leadership News reported that security personnel have since been sent to likely hideouts of the fleeing prisoners.
It was reported that the security agents guarding the prison were overwhelmed by the number of prisoners who charged them during the incident.
The statement however did not give details on the identities or affiliation of the escaped prisoners.
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This escape was a result of the adverse effects of heavy rains that have been witnessed throughout the world leading to a trail of destruction and even loss of life.
Heavy Rains
In November 2023, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) had warned that the El Niño rains were expected to last at least until April 2024.
“The El Niño developed rapidly during July-August, and reached moderate strength by September 2023 and is likely to peak as a strong event in November – January 2024. There is a 90% likelihood it will persist throughout the upcoming northern hemisphere winter/southern hemisphere summer,” warned WMO.
According to the organization, El Niño occurs on average every two to seven years, and typically last nine to 12 months.
It is a naturally occurring climate pattern associated with warming of the ocean surface in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. But it takes place in the context of the climate being changed by human activities.
WMO warned that El Niño impacts on global temperature typically play out in the year after its development, which in this case was the year 2024.
Extreme events such as heatwaves, drought, wildfires, heavy rain and floods have been recorded in various regions including Kenya, with major impacts.
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