A 25-hour heavy rain across three states left seven people dead in
Ibadan, Oyo State capital and 30 houses submerged in Benin, Edo
State, while paralysing business activities in the states.
The rain, which started in the evening of Sunday and continued for
most part of Monday, resulted in traffic snarls in all the affected cities
and towns, leaving many commuters stranded.
In Ibadan, although the Oyo State police command confirmed only two
people dead in Orita Challenge area of the city, residents of some
communities in Oluyole Local Government Area of the state claimed
five other people were swept away while attempting to cross a bridge,
which they did not know had collapsed.
One of the victims, said to be an unidentified elderly man, was said to
have disembarked from a commercial motorcycle and had attempted
to cross the flooded bridge at LAD Hospital area at about 8.00 a.m
on Monday.
He reportedly died when he slipped and hit his head on the slab of
the bridge.
The second incident, which occurred at about 11.30 a.m, involved a
commercial motorcyclist who also attempted to cross the flooded
bridge, as the water swept him and his female passenger off.
Though the passenger was rescued, the okada rider was not fortunate,
as he and his motorcycle were swept away.
His body was, however, found around 2.30 p.m about 200 metres
away from the spot where he was swept off by the flood.
Nigerian Tribune learnt that the remains of the two victims had been
deposited at the State Hospital mortuary at Ring Road, while the
female passenger was taken to a private hospital for treatment.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Indabawa, who
confirmed the story, said he had instructed his men to cordon off the
place so as to prevent further disaster.
It was gathered that the policemen, led by the Divisional Police Officer
in charge of Orita Challenge division, Daniel Alao, were still securing
the bridge as of the time of filing this report.
In Benin, the Edo State capital, the rain, that started at about 7.00
a.m, left no fewer than 15 houses submerged at Azinge Crescent,
Ihama Road, GRA, while, at least, three houses were nearly submerged
at Slaughter Street in Aduwawa.
At Aiguobasinmwin, the Customary Court of Appeal and the
secretariat of the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) were
affected, while some houses and vehicles were submerged in the area.
It was the same story at Oza Street, off Sokponba Road in the Edo
State capital, as many vehicles were trapped and damaged inside the
flood at Ihama, Adesuwa and adjoining streets of Sapele Road
Businesses were paralysed in notable commercial areas such as Ring
Road, Forestry, Third Junction and New Benin, as retail outlets and
stores were locked as a result of the high intensity of the rain.
Other affected areas were Ugbioyokho, GRA, Ikpoba Hill, College Road,
Ekenwan Road, Textile Mills and Aduwawa.
Residents also stayed indoors, as many roads were impassable, while
people in flooded houses were seen trying to rescue their belongings
from the flood.
A woman, Cordelia Igbe, said her belongings and that of her
neighbours, including their houses, were submerged in the flood.
“I was in the office when I received a phone call from my neighbour to
come home quickly, as flood had entered my apartment.
“I had to take excuse from my boss and rushed home. What I saw was
not what I bargained for at all. I am really confused, I don’t know
what to do,” she lamented.
As of the time of filing this report, the rain had not stopped and the
effect could not be fully quantified.
When contacted on Monday afternoon, the state Commissioner for
Environment, Clem Agba, said he was in the state executive council
meeting and could not say anything because he had not been
properly briefed on the situation.
In Osogbo, the Osun State capital, the rain, which spanned over 20
hours, disrupted socio-economic activities in the state capital,
causing gridlock in some areas.
Though there was no recorded casualty, the rain prevented pupils of
private schools, who had already resumed for the new academic
session, from going to school.
Similarly, some civil servants found it difficult to resume at their duty
posts in time, owing to the incessant rain, as commercial
motorcyclists, popularly known as okada could not operate.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that the prolonged rain would have
wreaked havoc if not for the dredging of streams and other water
channels within the city by the state government.
Tribune
