"The search undertaken immediately by the defense and security forces allowed to arrest Colonel Thiegboro Camara, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara and Blaise Goumou," the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said a "commando" broke into the prison at around 5 a.m. local time (5:00 GMT) on Saturday. It spoke of an escape, whereas the former president's lawyer described it as a kidnap.
"President Moussa Dadis Camara was indeed kidnapped early in the morning by heavily armed people who forced him into a vehicle and drove to an unknown location," Pepe Lama wrote on social media.
Moussa Dadis Camara and his associates have been detained since 2022 in connection with a 2009 stadium massacre that left some 150 people dead and many others injured. He came to power in a 2008 coup. In 2010, he resigned and went into exile until 2021 when he returned to the country.