Massive floods caused the collapse of prison walls in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria, early last week, enabling 281 inmates to escape, Nigeria Correctional Services said on Sunday.
Umar Abubakar, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Correctional Services, reported that seven of the escaped prisoners have been recaptured by security forces.
"The flood brought down the walls of the correctional facilities [...]. Upon the evacuation of inmates by officers of the service with support from sister security agencies to a safe and secure facility, 281 inmates were observed to be missing. However, it is important to note that the service is in custody of their details, including their biometrics, which is being made available to the public," he was quoted as saying.
Efforts to apprehend the remaining fugitives are ongoing, he added.
The country's emergency agency said that the floods have killed at least 30 people and affected a million others, with hundreds of thousands displaced and forced into camps.