A heavy flood that wreaked havoc in some parts of Gwagwalada Area Council on Saturday also swept away two children who were asleep in their home in Zuba.
It was reported that the early morning flood inundated homes and killed at least five people, among them a 27-year-old housewife and her four children in Giri area of the council.
Aso Chronicle gathered that a torrential downpour caused the flooding which also drowned the two children identified as Samuel and Ejike.
A resident of Anguwar Paka, which is among areas worst hit, Kabiru Aliyu, said the disaster happened around 2am on Saturday, when the flood submerged a house in which the children were sleeping.
He said the father of the children woke up and discovered the entire house submerged. “He and some neighbours searched for the two children but unfortunately, their bodies could not be found; up till this moment as I speak.”
According to him, some houses along the waterway also collapsed due to the impact of the flood, adding that valuables including electronic appliances were destroyed by the flood.
Our reporter, who visited some of the affected areas in Zuba metropolis, also observed that the bridge linking Zuba to Ikwa has collapsed while the road from Agora of Zuba Palace Junction to the cemetery has been washed away by the flood.
Speaking on the incident, the Agora of Zuba, His Royal Highness (HRH) Alhaji Mohammed Bello Umar, expressed sadness over the flood that claimed the lives of the two children and destroyed houses and other valuable properties in the area.
He said he was devastated over the Saturday heavy flood that submerged houses, saying most of the roads within Zuba township are now in a deplorable state as a result of the flood.
The chief, while appealing to the FCT Administration, NEMA as well as other relevant government agencies to come to the aid of the flood victims, also cautioned residents against building on waterways.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Alhaji Adamu Mustapha, has sympathised with the victims of the Saturday flooding across the council.
The chairman, who visited Giri, Gwako, Abattoir, Old Kutunku and Dagiri, assured the victims of the council’s support, adding that it would take stock of affected houses and submit the report to relevant government agencies for assistance.
On his part, the Director General of the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Alhaji Abbas Idriss, advised residents of the territory to adhere to the Abuja master plan and avoid building on waterways.
