Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, says he is seriously worried that jailed Boko Haram terrorists, ISWAP commanders, bandit kingpins and other dangerous terrorists might have escaped from the Maiduguri correctional centre following the severe flooding that ravaged the state capital as a result of the collapse of the Alau Dam.
Recall that the over 40 year old dam had last Tuesday, collapsed, causing the worst flooding the state had experienced in the last 30 years with over 50 people feared dead while more than two million others have been displaced and properties worth billions of naira destroyed.
Zulum who raised the alarm in an interview with BBC Hausa News said the security situation in the state could be worsened with the reported escape of the terrorists said to be over 200.
Answering questions on insinuations that some of the prisoners who may have escaped from the prison could be terrorists, Zulum said:
READ ALSO:30 dead, 400K displaced in Borno flood
“I’m worried. Yes, I’m seriously worried. But you also have to bear in mind that the Borno State Government has established what we call the Borno model of rehabilitation, which 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 the return of peace and stability to Borno State.
“I can remember more than 300,000 people were killed in Borno State, thousands of classrooms were destroyed, hundreds of facilities were destroyed by the insurgency.
“We are just trying to get out of this problem and then now we witnessed another disaster-—a very serious calamity, another serious humanitarian crisis which the state governor cannot shoulder,” he added.
Join the conversation
Opinions
Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism
Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.
As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.
If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.
Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.
Donate Now
