Flood wreaks havoc in 5 states, 9 dead, hundreds rendered homeless

Many states in Nigeria are counting losses from floods as a result of heavy downpours which lashed through days, leaving in its trail loss of lives and properties. Daily Trust Saturday reports the situation from some states. The torrents swept away about nine lives, 5,000 farmlands, 200 birds and 2,200 houses all worth millions of naira.

This year’s flooding is not different from that of previous years, between June and August, which have been blamed on climate change causing heavy and abnormal rains.

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Taraba State’s Jalingo has been affected by flood twice in the month of July this year with at least six deaths and more than 200 houses worth millions of naira destroyed mainly around the business areas of River Lamurde and Mayo Gwoi.

In several surrounding communities, swathes of farmlands were completely submerged as residents affected by heavy downpours were seen scooping water and rescuing their household items from the debris.

A resident of Gorowa village in Karim-Lamido, Alhaji Musa Gorowa, said the people would face more dangers when Cameroon releases water from Lagdo Dam.

Ensconced between the two rivers, Jalingo residents usually experience flooding at this time of the year with rain surge from Yorro mountain which causes overflow, resulting in flooding in the metropolis.

A victim of the flood, Musa Abubakar, said this year’s flood was more devastating compared to the previous flooding recorded in Jalingo, comparing it only to the 2007 floods, which washed away the Nunkai Bridge, causing several deaths including that of an Assistant Commissioner of Police.

Findings revealed that heavy rainfall being recorded in the state poses danger to riverine communities as all the three major rivers have started overflowing their banks.

At Zip village in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area, the village head, Malam Muhammed, lamented that the overflowing of the rivers are causing serious erosion which is affecting their houses and farmland.

Communities such as Gorowa, Mayoreniwo, Lau, and Tella are under the threat of flood as the rivers are getting to their peak due to heavy rainfall being recorded for the past several days in many parts of the state.

In Osogbo, capital of Osun State, where three persons were reported to have been swept away by flood on August 3, several other properties worth millions of naira were also destroyed.

Although there has been no official confirmation of the number of deaths or value of the properties, the visible impact of the flood can be seen in Awosuru, Alekuwodo, Manila, Oke-Baale, Idi-Baba and Isale-Oja.

Mr Tunde Bolade, whose house was flooded at Isale Oja, lamented that the drainage in the area was too small for the amount of flood moving in the area whenever it rains while calling for expansion to channel water away.

Another resident of Alekuwodo, Mrs Folasade Isola, said the flood destroyed her wares and has affected her business adversely.

“I just brought new items into my shop. I got a call that flood entered my shop. When I got there, there was nothing I could do. It’s unfortunate,” she lamented.

Also, Mr Adetunji Kabiru, a gas vendor, who also operates a football-viewing centre in the Oke Baale area, narrated how the flood destroyed his property including three flat-screen televisions.

A farmer who also deals on animal feed at Itaolokan, Musiliu Wahab, said “All my goods were washed away by the flood. This is not the first time we are experiencing flooding but this is too bad. The flood washed away a car in my area. We lost nothing less than N100 million.”

Alhaji Abdluahim Sefiu, a saw miller around Ilesa garage, beside Imeko River, explained that the flood washed away his planks a few hours after he stocked his store and some residents allegedly carted away most of the displaced planks.

In Bauchi, the flooding not only affected farmlands and houses but forced families such as that of Malam Mohammed, a father of 10, out of their homes. They were forced to evacuate from Cheledi village.

“We thank the state government for donating food items to the victims but our major concern is to rebuild our houses so that we can return. I and my family are taken refuge in our relative’s house,” he said.

An aged farmer, who lost his entire crops after flood cut off the Mulka Bridge on Bauchi-Kano Road in Tsangaya village in Ningi Local Government Area, Malam Usman Nabawa, said the flood has pushed him into untold hardship.

“The water has destroyed all my crops and rendered me poorer because I don’t have the means to buy another seed. I am living in fear of the unknown because the food I have in stock will not last for the next three months. I don’t know how to manage this predicament, especially coupled with my age,” he said.

In Makurdi, Benue State, Attah Ede’s family of five is among the families worst affected by this year’s flood as the family has spent a fortune fixing the household items spoilt in the course of another flood.

Other homes affected by the flood, which lasted for over 14 hours, include those in areas such as Apaa Batur behind Living Faith Church, Naka Road, Wurukum, BIPC Quarters, Kutcha Utebe, Wadata Rice Mill, Agber village, Achussa, Idye, part of Judges Quarters and George Akume Road, all in Makurdi.

Similarly, Henry Iorkyase, a resident of Achussa area, said his apartment was heavily flooded such that it was difficult for his family to move out from the home, especially as the wind which accompanied the rain blew off his rooftops.

Another resident of Idye, Samuel Uchi, said the flood overflowed the major drainage recently built in the area before the water submerged homes within the vicinity while expressing worry that the annual flooding appears to have defied solutions overtimes.

Lagos experienced heavy flooding on July 16, causing loss of property worth millions of naira, as scary images of submerged vehicles and houses were seen in the media.

Areas mainly affected are Marina, Victoria Island and Ajah.

State govts pledge action

Meanwhile, the Bauchi State government has set up three different committees to examine the level of damages caused by floods in the affected areas of the state.

Inaugurating one of the committees at the Government House Bauchi, the state’s deputy governor, Senator Baba Tela, charged members to bring their wealth of knowledge and experience into play in the discharge of the committee’s assignment.

He said the committee’s terms of reference include inspecting all the areas affected by flood in order to determine the extent of damage with a view to assisting the victims.

Others he said is to seek the intervention of the federal government and other national, international and multilateral donor agencies and to suggest to the state government measures to be adopted including sensitization program to avert future occurrences.

The governor had earlier donated two trailer loads of rice and maize to victims in Kirfi, while plans are on to send blankets and other relief materials to them as an immediate palliative measure.

Also, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola while in an on-the-spot assessment of the affected areas to sympathise with victims, said flood respects nobody as the perimeter fence of the Government House was also affected.

He said some rivers were dredged by the state government to prevent flooding and assured that the dredging would continue to avoid flooding subsequently. He warned residents to desist from dumping refuse on waterways and erecting structures close to the river.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had July 22 warned of severe flooding resulting from the high volume of rainfall.

The forecast listed states at risk of heavy rainfall to include parts of Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Ekiti, Oyo, Osun, Lagos, Bayelsa, Cross River and Akwa Ibom states.

Fears grow over release of dam in Lagos

In Lagos, residents have been living in fear of torrential rainfall after the experience of July 16 when the state was flooded after a rainfall that lasted almost seven hours.

Most parts of Lagos Island, particularly low-lying areas like Banana Island and Park View Estate, Victoria Island, Lekki, Ajah, Apapa and Ikeja, among others were affected.

The Territorial Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Lagos, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye said following the downpour, the agency put critical stakeholders on red alert for possible emergency response.

Critical stakeholders like LASEMA, Federal and State Fire Services, State Ministry of Water Resources and Environment were contacted and advised to be ready to respond to any distress alert, he said.

“On the 17th July 2021, calls and text messages were received over the need for Government intervention to repair certain areas that were spoilt and damaged. NEMA led assessment teams referred most of the cases to the State Ministry of Environment, especially the Drainage Monitoring Dept.

8,355 people and about 12 LGAs were identified to have been affected in one way or the other.

However, there are fears over the impending release of water from the Oyan Dam by September.

This is estimated to affect about 18 communities in Ikorodu and Kosofe LGAs with about 2 million estimated people to be affected.

The release of water by Oyan Dam management would drastically increase the water body in these communities.

The NEMA coordinator, however, said sensitization and enlightenment of the people are ongoing.

Hassan Ibrahim (Bauchi), Magaji Isa Hunkuyi (Jalingo), Hameed Oyegbade (Osogbo), Hope Abah Emmanuel (Makurdi), Abdullateef Aliyu  &  Christiana T. Alabi (Lagos)