Imprisoned Militants Escape From Niger’s High-security Prison

A large-scale mutiny occurred on Thursday at Koutoukalé high-security prison in Niger, allowing most of the militant inmates to escape.

Prisoners overpowered security forces, leading to the mass breakout, as reported by Journal du Niger news media.

The inmates who escaped include detainees from groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State and suspected Boko Haram insurgents.

Due to the heightened security risks, authorities have warned travellers to avoid the Tillabéri-Niamey route.

Niger’s interior ministry said it had ordered search units to be on alert while investigations are going on to determine the causes and identify those responsible for the escape.

The ministry did not disclose the exact number of escaped prisoners or detail the circumstances of the mutiny.

Read: Traoré Accuses Ivory Coast, Benin Of Destabilising Burkina Faso

WHO Warns Of Bird Flu Risk Due To Poor Animal Surveillance, Maintains No Human-to-human Transmission Yet

About The Author

Emmanuel Ejiofor

author

See author's posts