The Bauchiprison break was an attack on the federal prison in the northern Nigerian city of Bauchi, in which members of the Boko Haram militant sect released 721 prisoners. The attack occurred on September 7, 2010, and was carried out by approximately 50 gunmen. Of the 721 prisoners who escaped, as many as 150 were affiliated with Boko Haram. The Bauchi prison break was part of a broader escalation of Boko Haram activity that served as retaliation for the death of one of the group's primary leaders. Boko Haram has staged multiple subsequent attacks on government and religious targets in Bauchi state.
Background
Nigeria is largely split between a Christian south and Muslim north, and tensions have built between the two groups. There has been sectarian violence since 1999. The prisoners in Bauchi were largely awaiting trial for sectarian violence committed in the country in 2009. The group which conducted the prison raid, Boko Haram, was involved in this sectarian violence. The group opposes non-Islamic education in Nigeria. The attack came on the same day that the 2011 presidential election was announced. Members of Boko Haram previously staged an attack on a police station in Bauchi state on July 26, 2009 in which 150 people were killed. This was followed by a spurt of coordinated attacks across multiple states, including in neighboring Borno state. During an aggressive government response, Boko Haram's leader Mohammed Yusuf was arrested on July 30, 2009. He was killed extrajudicially by the police after interrogation, although some sources claim that he was killed while being taken into custody. Officials both believed and announced that Yusuf's death would lead to the group's collapse, but it instead resulted in increased recruitment and expansion, and escalation of the group's activities. The killing of Yusuf while in custody has been characterized as one of the group's primary grievances against the Nigerian government. Yusuf's second-in-command, Abubakar Shekau, subsequently threatened retaliation against the government for the deaths of Boko Haram members.
Incident
Boko Haram planned the attack on Bauchi prison in the evening, anticipating that Muslim prison guards would be attending evening prayer during Ramadan. Out of a total of 759 prisoners, 721 were freed by the members of Boko Haram. While accounts vary, it is estimated that between 105 to 150 of the escaped prisoners were affiliated with Boko Haram. Over thirty prisoners returned to the prison to serve out their short sentences. Additionally thirty-five prisoners were re-arrested. Parts of the jail were set on fire and five people were killed; a further six people were sent to a local hospital. At least one police officer was killed, along with bystanders. Boko Haram also used the attack on the federal prison as an opportunity to distribute recruitment and propaganda materials. The attackers left leaflets around the prison, detailing the group's background and manifesto, and exhorting readers to also take up arms for their cause. The language in these leaflets served as the group's formal "declaration of war" on the government.
Aftermath
The state governor, Isa Yuguda, announced on September 8, 2010 that members of Boko Haram should leave the state or be flushed out forcefully. The government response to Boko Haram activity has relied heavily on military and police resources. The city temporarily added military-manned checkpoints on major roads. According to state police commissioner, Danlami Yar'Adua, eleven suspected members of Boko Haram were arrested during this campaign. The Nigerian government also pledged to tighten security at other prisons, especially those thought to be vulnerable to attack. The minister for the interior, Emmanuel Iheanacho, stated that the " safety and security remain paramount to us." Since the attack on the prison in 2010, Boko Haram has also launched attacks on a police station and army barracks in Bauchi. In 2012, the group carried out a suicide bombing at a church in Bauchi. The prison break in Bauchi is not the only such attack coordinated by Boko Haram. The 2012 Kogi Prison break, which released 119 inmates, was attributed to the group as well. Boko Haram later escalated its presence in the Lake Chad Basin, which countries in the region including Nigeria and Chad have addressed with the Multinational Joint Force.
