The Borno State Police Command has confirmed the rearrest of Abubakar Mohammed, a convict who fled from the Nigerian Correctional Service facility in Maiduguri after the structure collapsed during the heavy floods on September 10, 2024, which devastated the city and surrounding areas.
According to The PUNCH, this development was announced in a press release on Tuesday by the Command’s spokesperson, SP Ahmed Wakil.
Wakil pointed out that Abubakar Mohammed, 27, who had been serving a sentence for culpable homicide, was apprehended after a resident reported his presence in Gubio, a town in Borno State.
Wakil detailed the sequence of events, explaining, “The Borno Police Command is pleased to announce the successful rearrest of an escaped convict, Abubakar Mohammed, 27, who was serving a jail term for culpable homicide and had escaped from the medium-security custodial centre in Maiduguri.”
He further explained how the arrest came about, “On September 15, 2024, at about 1500 hours, a resident of Bulakara Ward, Gubio LGA, alerted the police after sighting Abubakar in Gubio town following his escape from the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Maiduguri, due to the collapse of the fence wall caused by the flood disaster.”
Acting swiftly, a police patrol team from the area mobilized and successfully captured the fugitive.
“Following a swift response by a police patrol team, the escaped convict was apprehended,” Wakil stated.
He also confirmed that the police would be handing Abubakar over to the Nigerian Correctional Service for proper processing, while a broader search was underway to locate other potential escapees from the facility.
About 280 inmates had managed to escape the Maiduguri Medium Security Custodial Centre following the unprecedented floods that caused significant damage to the infrastructure, leading to breaches in the facility’s security.
