More Than 100 Inmates Escape Prison in Nigeria Due to Heavy Rain

More than 100 inmates escaped from a prison in Nigeria near the capital, Abuja, after heavy rains damaged parts of the facility overnight, according to a prison service official on Thursday. The heavy rain, which lasted several hours on Wednesday night, destroyed the perimeter fence of the medium-security prison in Suleja, adjacent to the capital in Niger State, allowing 118 inmates to escape from the facility, according to prison service spokesperson Adamu Doza. Doza stated, "The prison service and other agencies managed to recapture 10 of the escapees, while the search is still ongoing to find the rest." There are concerns that the escapees may find their way into the vast forests connecting Suleja and neighboring states, some of which are known hiding places for criminal gangs.