Nigeria: At least 119 criminals escape after heavy rains damage 'colonial-era' prison in Suleja

At least 119 inmates escaped a medium security jail in Nigeria, as heavy rains on Wednesday (Apr 24) night damaged the colonial-era prison facility in Suleja, near the Nigerian Capital of Abuja.

Attempts to recapture escaped prisoners underway

Nigerian prison service spokesperson Adamu Duza in a statement said that the hours-long downpour had "wreaked havoc" on the jail leading "to the escape of a total of one hundred and nineteen inmates of the facility".

AFP reports that Duza assured that a manhunt was underway to recapture the escaped prisoners and that 10 are back in custody.

"We are in hot chase to recapture the rest," Duza said, as reported by Reuters.

Duza blamed the dilapidated conditions of the "colonial era" Nigerian prison for the grand escape. He also said that authorities were working to replace "all ageing facilities".

Public cautioned

The prison service spokesperson asked people to be on the lookout for fleeing inmates and report to security personnel about any suspicious people.

"The public is further enjoined to look out for the fleeing inmates and report any suspicious movement to the nearest security agency," said Dunza.

He failed to reveal details about the escaped prisoners or their affiliations. However, as per Reuters, "in the past members of the Boko Haram Islamist insurgent group have been locked up in Suleja prison".

Nigeria and Prison Breaks

In recent years, due to the weak infrastructure and militant attacks, prison breaks have become very common in Nigeria.

As per Reuters, prison breaks have become a major security concern in the country where "overcrowding, underfunding, and lax security measures have created conditions ripe for escape".

Watch |Suleja prison break: Over 118 prisoners escaped from prison

In one of the mostbrazen attacksin 2022,militants broke into Nigeria's Kuje security prison on the outskirts of Abuja with explosives and heavy guns. The prison break led to thefreeing of more than 800 inmates.

"The Service is not unmindful of the fact that many of its facilities were built during the colonial era and that they are old and weak," said Duza. In addition, he mentioned that the service is "working frantically" towards modernising its prisons, which involves the construction of six new facilities with a capacity of 3,000 each, as well as renovation of the current ones.

(With inputs from agencies)