During a visit to the most impacted regions in Maiduguri, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo inspected the Customs area, where the damaged prison is situated. Throughout the tour, teams were engaged in evacuating deceased individuals, while military personnel, security agencies, and civilian volunteers worked tirelessly to rescue those trapped. Although some of the flooded sections of Maiduguri have started to recede, severely affected locations such as Gamboru Market, Kasuwan Shanu, the Customs Area, Fori, and Abbaganaram remain heavily inundated.
The grounds of the Nigerian prisons continue to be inundated, with public infrastructure, amenities, shops, and vehicles entirely submerged by the floodwaters.
The majority of those trapped and being rescued are women, children, and vulnerable individuals. Accompanying the Minister are the Controller-Generals of Immigration and Correctional Services, along with the Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services Board.
Read Also:10,000 new recruits for deployment Feb 2025 – Police
Numerous aerial videos and photos released by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to AFP depict rows of houses engulfed in murky floodwaters. Maiduguri, which has been the epicenter of a protracted jihadist insurgency lasting over a decade, acts as the central hub for humanitarian crisis responses in the northeastern region.
The United Nations refugee agency in Nigeria (UNHCR) stated on its X account that the flooding in the city is the worst it has experienced in 30 years.
