Hundreds of residents are currently trapped as a devastating flood hit Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno State, Northeast Nigeria.
According to reports, the widespread flooding on Tuesday morning also affected surrounding communities and submerged several houses, major roads, and official buildings including the Emir’s palace.
This followed the collapse of the dyke and overflow of Alau Dam which is about 10kms away from the metropolis.
Last week, the State Government led by the Secretary to the Government, Bukar Tijjani led a Delegation to assess the situation of the Dam and reassured the general public that there was no cause for alarm or panicking as measures would be taken to mitigate any disaster, but to no avail as the water flow into the city since Monday evening to date.
According to a victim, the floodwaters overflowed the Fori bridge, which connects Fori and Galtimari to Tashan Bama, and swept through homes with incredible force.
https://twitter.com/Waspapping_/status/1833385501228773583“Everyone should avoid the post office, Monday market even the route behind the zoo along Hissan fueling station as the flood has taken over and the road is not motorable,” Refeal told
“We were alerted to pack our belongings at 12:30 AM, but before we could gather our clothes and school credentials, the water was already waist-deep in our house,’ said a resident of Galtimari.
A journalist working with Borno Radio Television (BRTV) said, “Post Office area and our office BRTV have been submerged.”
“Nobody could sleep because the water is too much. Our house was filled with water and we have to look for where to survive. In my community here, many people are trapped inside the water because not everyone can swim and nobody can help them. The emergency agency is overwhelmed because they also have to deal with flood in their facilities. No place is safe currently in Maiduguri,” another resident said.
Another resident, Bilyaminu Yusuf, said, “We are in a serious situation Lagos Street is flooded, we had to flee to Galtimari Primary School, leaving most of our belongings behind.”
In Yobe state, only five local government areas remain accessible to Damaturu the state capital. These include Nangere, Potiskum, Fika, Fune, and Gujba, while the other 12 local government areas such as Nguru, Jakusco, Gashua, Gaidam, and many more were totally cut off as flooding has destroyed bridges, roads, houses, and property worth billions of naira.
According to a short statement from the Police Public Relations Officer, Borno State Command on Tuesday morning, ASP Kenneth Daso said: “Following the devastating effect of flooding, citizens are advised to avoid flooding routes and stay in safer areas as Police and other relevant government agencies are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of lives and property”.
Similarly, in reaction to the flooding, the Borno State government has asked the affected residents to relocate and follow evacuation routes as efforts are being made to contain the flood.
https://twitter.com/IjaniIjasini/status/1833383401459437845A statement on Tuesday by the Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, titled “Flooding Alert for River Bank Residents,” also called for immediate evacuation.
“Due to the unusually high volume of water this year, we urge all the residents living along the river bank to take immediate action to protect themselves and their properties. The Alau Dam water has broken down another channel that is currently destroying farms and the water is heading toward the river bank.”
The Alau Dam, located in the Alau community of Konduga Local Government Area in Borno State, Nigeria, was built between 1984 and 1986. It creates a large reservoir on the Ngadda River, a tributary of Lake Chad.
The dam was designed to supply water for irrigation and domestic use in Maiduguri and to help control flooding in the region. However, it has also contributed to flooding in certain instances.
In 1992, when the dam, with a storage capacity of 112 million cubic meters, reached its maximum capacity, it overflowed, leading to flooding in the Jere Bowl area.
Two years later, in 1994, flash floods from the Yedzeram River resulted in significant flooding in Maiduguri.
In 2012, heavy rainfall forced the dam’s evacuation valve to be opened, releasing large volumes of water and causing widespread flooding in Maiduguri and nearby communities.
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