Nigerian officials have reported that over 270 prisoners remain unaccounted for after a prison break triggered by severe flooding in Maiduguri, a city in the northeast.
So far, seven inmates have been recaptured.
The flooding occurred after a dam collapsed due to heavy rainfalls.
In Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, hundreds of thousands have been displaced by the rising floodwaters, with at least 30 lives lost.
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state described the scale of the destruction as “unimaginable.”
‘I thought I would die with my six children’ – dam collapse survivor
This is the first time that the Nigerian authorities have admitted to the numbers who fled custody.
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) announced on Sunday that following damage to the medium-security prison’s walls, inmates were being transferred when some escaped during the “relocation to a secure facility.”
Earlier, Governor Zulum informed the BBC that members of the Boko Haram militant group were among those who escaped.
However, the exact number of fugitives linked to jihadist activities remains unclear.
NCoS spokesperson Umar Abubakar reassured the public that efforts are underway, in collaboration with security agencies, to recapture the escapees. Photos of the missing prisoners have been released, and the public is urged to remain calm as the prison break poses no threat to public safety.