A strong downpour in Suleja, close to the capital of Nigeria, caused a serious breakdown in prison security on Wednesday night, which let at least 118 prisoners escape. The event happened at a medium-security facility where the surrounding structures and perimeter wall sustained significant damage due to the deluge. A jail service spokesman, Adamu Duza, revealed the information in a statement on Thursday.
The infrastructure of the prison, which consists of structures that have stood since the colonial era, was seriously damaged by the prolonged, intense rain that continued for several hours. The old buildings were unable to endure the heavy downpours, which caused a structural collapse that gave the inmates an unintentional escape path.
After the breach, a coordinated attempt was made by prison service agents and other security agencies to reclaim the escaped inmates. Ten of the runaways had been captured by Thursday. Duza declared, “We are in hot chase to recapture the rest,” indicating that security was of the utmost importance. In addition, he emphasized the need of community awareness in resolving this dilemma by urging the people to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity or sightings of the escapees to the closest security services.
The prison administration has not revealed the identity or connections of the escaped convicts, but it is known that Suleja jail has previously held members of the acknowledged Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram. Given the risky backgrounds of some of the prisoners, this particular fact highlights the possible seriousness of the breach.
This jail break is part of a worrying trend of security breakdowns in Nigerian prisons, which are marked by inadequate financing, overcrowding, and dilapidated infrastructure. Because of these factors, jails are now vulnerable to escapes, either as a result of violent infractions by militant organizations or structural flaws. The Islamic State famously attacked a high-security prison in Abuja in July 2022, allowing some 440 prisoners to escape. This incident brought attention to the continued problems with Nigeria’s jail system.
Duza emphasized the continuous efforts to improve the jail infrastructure in response to the growing security concerns. He clarified, “The Service is aware of the fact that many of its facilities are outdated and in poor condition because they were constructed during the colonial era.” There are plans to build six new prisons, each holding 3,000 prisoners, as well as renovate current ones to improve security and living conditions.
