Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State has expressed concern following a flood disaster in Maiduguri, which may have led to the escape of some Boko Haram leaders who were serving jail terms.
The flood caused significant damage, taking over 30 lives, displacing over 400,000, and destroying properties worth millions of naira in the city.
Reports indicated that the flood damaged a section of the old prison in Maiduguri. As a result, many inmates, including some Boko Haram members, were evacuated to a new maximum-security prison. However, there were claims that some of the prisoners escaped during the transfer.
A security source confirmed the evacuation and possible escape of some inmates to the media. When asked in an interview with the BBC if he was concerned that Boko Haram leaders might have escaped, Governor Zulum confirmed his worries.
“I’m worried, yes, I’m seriously worried. But you also have to bear in mind that Borno State Government has established what we call Borno Model of Rehabilitation that has allowed many insurgents to repent.
“Within the last two years, over 200,000 Boko Haram members and their families have repented and, I think, this has also yielded positive results in ensuring return of peace and stability to Borno State,” he said.
Governor Zulum also lamented the compounding challenges faced by Borno, mentioning that the state had previously suffered heavy losses due to insurgency. He recalled that more than 300,000 people were killed, thousands of classrooms destroyed, and hundreds of facilities damaged.
Just as the state was beginning to recover, it now faces another disaster—a severe flood, creating another humanitarian crisis beyond what the state government can handle alone.
The governor acknowledged that the support provided to flood victims was insufficient, stating that it was impossible to feed millions of people in a short period. For this reason, the state decided to organise the victims in camps to ensure proper distribution of aid.
He explained that this approach would prevent further loss of life, as distributing food and non-food items in queues posed significant risks to the people.
