Jailbreak rocks Borno barracks as nine detained soldiers escape over terrorism links

The Nigerian military has suffered a major security breach following the escape of nine soldiers from a military guardroom at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Monday.

Maimalari Cantonment serves as the headquarters of the Nigerian Army’s 7 Division and one of the largest military formations in the North-East.

According to top military sources, most of the escaped soldiers had been detained for their alleged links to Boko Haram terrorists and involvement in arms trafficking to insurgent groups operating in the region.

“There was a jailbreak on Monday around 0215 hours at Maimalari Cantonment. Nine personnel detained mostly for arms running with terrorists escaped,” one source told SaharaReporters.

The source added that one of the escapees had been recaptured, while security operatives have launched a manhunt for the remaining eight fugitives.

“One of them was caught in the bush shortly after the escape. It’s a major security embarrassment imagine such a thing happening inside a military barracks,” another officer lamented.

This incident has reignited concerns about internal compromise and infiltration within the Nigerian armed forces an issue that has long troubled the country’s counterterrorism efforts.

Former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (retd.), had previously warned of increasing cases of military personnel aiding and abetting terrorists and bandits across operational zones.

In a directive issued during his tenure, Irabor urged commanders to sensitize their troops about the dangers and consequences of collaborating with insurgents.

“Recent happenings reveal an increase in cases of aiding and abetting by personnel,” the letter signed on his behalf by C.E. Oji stated. “These arrests indicate insider actions that continue to aid the adversary, with serious operational implications.”

In 2022, SaharaReporters also reported the case of Lance Corporal Abdullahi Jibrin, an army instructor in Geidam, Yobe State, who took his own life after being arrested for allegedly working with Boko Haram members involved in attacks on Yobe communities.

Jibrin was reportedly tracked and apprehended by military intelligence operatives in Gashua, several hundred kilometres from his duty post, before taking his life.

The recent jailbreak at Maimalari Cantonment has now deepened concerns about discipline, loyalty, and insider threats within the Nigerian Army’s ranks amid ongoing efforts to combat terrorism in the North-East.