Several prisoners on Thursday escaped from Koutoukale prison, a heavily fortified jail known to hold jihadists located about 50 kilometers northwest of Niamey.
As a result, the Niger Ministry of Interior has declared a curfew in the volatile Tillaberi region and ordered heightened vigilance.
The curfew restricts all movement of pedestrians, bicycles, and motor vehicles.
Niger’s armed forces are stretched by jihadist attacks in the west and protecting the junta which took power in last year’s coup.
The ministry did not specify in its statement how many prisoners managed to escape in the latest jailbreak.
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However, captured Islamist fighters from groups linked to both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in the region are believed to be among them.
Two other attempted jailbreaks at the facility were repelled in 2016 and 2019.
