Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has expressed worries about the potential escape of Boko Haram leaders serving jail terms from the correctional centre in the state following the flood disaster that ravaged Maiduguri.
The governor spoke during an interview with the BBC on Saturday.
When asked if he was worried that some Boko Haram leaders might have escaped, Governor Zulum responded in the affirmative.
He said, “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 return of peace and stability to Borno State.”
There were also reports that some prison inmates were evacuated and that some of them escaped due to the flooding.
PRIOR INCIDENT
On Tuesday, thousands of residents evacuated their homes as flood-ravaged swathes of Fori, Galtimari, Gwange, and Bulabulin areas of Maiduguri.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said more than 30 people have died and over 400,000 have been displaced due to the flood in the state capital.
The Borno government has opened up internally displaced persons (IDP) camps for victims across the state.
The Alau Dam, which reportedly burst on Tuesday after being at maximum capacity for weeks, affected many communities.
DONATION TO VICTIMS
On Friday, Muktar Betara, a member of the House of Representatives, donated N100 million to victims of flooding in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Betara said the donation would cushion the effects of the flood disaster.
Also, the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, announced a donation of N1.5 billion to victims of flooding.
“I just want to clarify, we have this flood committee. NEMA wrote us a letter; so we sat down and approved N1 billion to NEMA to work with the Borno State government,” he said.
“On top of that, the Aliko Dangote Foundation will also put in an additional N500 million so that’s N1.5 billion. Thank you.”
