(Borno State, Nigeria) – When Nigerians thought the rains couldn’t get any more dramatic, Maiduguri in Borno state decided to pull off a stunt straight out of a Nollywood blockbuster. The same floods that cause everyone in Lagos to fish out their rubber slippers, have now found a new career path as prison break facilitators. Early last week, walls at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Maiduguri gave in to the heavy rains, setting 281 prisoners on the fast track to freedom. The prison, which might as well have been a sandcastle built on Bar Beach, didn’t stand a chance against the water’s assault.
In typical Nigerian fashion, the aftermath was met with both astonishment and resigned acceptance. After all, this is a country where “anything can happen” is a lifestyle. For worried citizens out there, security agencies are hot on the the soggy trail of the escapees. Seven have already been recaptured, but that still leaves 274 wandering free and likely telling stories of their watery adventure.
The spokesperson for the Nigeria Correctional Services, Umar Abubakar, was the bearer of the soggy news. He explained in a statement that the floods took out the prison wall and turned the staff quarters into a free for all swimming pool. Now, one might wonder how much of a flood it takes to bring down the walls of a prison, walls that were presumably designed to withstand human beings trying to break through. But this is Nigeria, where infrastructure’s main enemy is not so much the people, but the forces of nature.
“The floods brought down the walls of the correctional facilities, including the Medium Security Custodial Centre, as well as the staff quarters in the city,” Abubakar said, possibly with the same tone of voice used when explaining why the NEPA light has gone off again.
So far, seven of the prisoners have been recaptured, which, let us be honest, is a pretty decent start. Knowing how resourceful Nigerians can be, these seven must have thought twice before deciding the flood assisted escape was not worth the drama of running around soaked to the bone. Or maybe they just couldn’t swim.
Security agencies were quick to deploy their teams to round up the inmates, a surprising response given the usual routine Nigerians have become accustomed to.
Table: Escaped and Recaptured Inmates So Far
| Details | Number of Inmates |
|---|---|
| Total Escapees | 281 |
| Recaptured by Security | 7 |
| Still on the Run | 274 |
Now, Nigerians are no strangers to dealing with flooding. In fact, during rainy seasons, most cities turn into makeshift Venice, canoes and all. But this flood had ambition. It did not just settle for clogging roads and cutting off electricity; it took it up a notch and freed a whole correctional facility’s worth of prisoners.
If we are being real here, this isn’t the first time natural forces have shown Nigerians who is boss. Whether it’s the heat that melts your ice cream faster than you can blink, or the Harmattan winds that dry out your skin like suya left out too long, Nigerians have learned to adapt. So, while 274 prisoners are probably out there enjoying their newfound freedom, the real heroes are the prison walls still standing.
