Niger’s interior ministry announced on Thursday that a prison break had occurred at the high-security Koutoukale facility, located 50 kilometers northwest of the capital Niamey.
Search units have been placed on high alert to apprehend the escaped inmates.
The ministry’s statement did not disclose the number of escapees or their method of escape.
However, it is known that Koutoukale houses militants, including detainees involved in the West African nation’s conflicts with al-Qaeda and Islamic State-linked groups, as well as suspected Boko Haram insurgents.
Local authorities in the Tillaberi urban commune, situated in the same region as the prison, have implemented an overnight curfew.
The reason for the curfew remains unclear.
This incident underscores the ongoing struggle against extremism in the central Sahel region.
Since 2012, when al-Qaeda-affiliated fighters took control of parts of Mali, the threat from militant groups has steadily escalated.
Thousands have lost their lives in these conflicts, while over 3 million people have been displaced, creating a significant humanitarian crisis in some of the world’s poorest countries.
Niger, along with its neighbors, stands on the front lines of this fight.
