*1 million displaced – Resident

*Military, Police to the rescue

*Last flood took place in 1994

*Red Cross ready to intervene – Disaster Director

Thirty years after the last failure of Alau Dam, another devastating humanitarian crisis has hit Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, following severe floods that have ravaged major parts of the city and nearby villages, displacing thousands of residents.

The last Alau Dam failure and subsequent flood occurred on September 13, 1994. Investigations revealed that in that year, communities such as Bulumkutu, Gomari, Gamboru, London Ciki, Bulabulin (Gwange, Bulabulin, Gamboru) were ravaged by the floods.

The floods first occurred in 1988, with additional incidents in 1989, 1990, and 1991 before the 1994 disaster.

It was learned that the 1988 flood ravaged towns such as Bulumkutu, Gomari, Gamboru, Bulabulin, Gomari Abuja, Gwange, Mairi, Bolori, and Wulari, while the 1989 flood affected the same areas.

The 1990 flood displaced residents of Bolori, Bulumkutu, Gomari, Gamboru, London Ciki, and Bulabulin. The same areas were equally ravaged in 1991 and 1994.

As the current flood waters continue to rise, fears are growing of a near-humanitarian disaster, with the military, police, and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) escalating rescue and relief efforts.

The flood was triggered by the collapse of the Alau Dam in the Konduga Local Government Area.

The urgent humanitarian crisis in the area has prompted a military response to rescue trapped civilians.

The unprecedented rainfall caused water levels to rise, resulting in the dam’s failure and subsequent flooding of the entire Maiduguri Metropolitan Council.

The disaster, described as one of the worst in over 30 years, has left widespread destruction in its wake. The Shehu of Borno’s palace and large areas of the city are underwater, with vehicles and trucks submerged in the floodwaters.

In response to the crisis, the military has activated its contingency plan to aid civil authorities.

It was gathered that more soldiers from navy and air force components have been deployed with boats to lead search and rescue efforts, focusing on areas where victims are trapped.

According to a reliable media source, Zagazola Makama, a particular area of concern is the Customs area, where people are stranded on a flyover bridge. Makama told *The Guardian* that “So far, over 1 million residents have been made homeless by the floods.”

“Despite the challenging conditions, the military has bravely waded into the floods to rescue those in need. Their efforts have been instrumental in saving lives and providing hope to affected communities.

“As we travel to Maiduguri, we will bring you updates on the situation and highlight the military’s efforts in mitigating the effects of this natural disaster. Their selfless dedication to serving the nation is truly commendable,” he said.

He added that troops from Operation Hadin Kai have played a critical role in the ongoing rescue operations, working tirelessly to evacuate those stranded and provide essential aid.

He hinted that their swift and coordinated response has drawn accolades from locals and residents, who lauded the military for saving many lives.

Military sources revealed that distress calls have continued to come in from affected individuals in communities such as 505 Housing Estate, Chad Basin, Kofa Biyu, Budum, Zaman Clinic, Customs Flyover, Maiduri, Kasuwan Shanu, Madinatu, and Abbaganaram, among others.

It was gathered that although water levels have begun to recede in some areas, others remain in a dangerous situation.

A soldier in the 222 Battalion, Konduga, told The Guardian that, “The flood started from our location in Konduga. We finished rescuing so many people in Konduga and moved to Maiduguri to rescue more people.”

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, has expressed deep sympathy and condolences to the government and people of Borno State over the devastating flood that has ravaged several communities and paralyzed economic activities.

The CDS said he was saddened to learn of the loss of lives, destruction of property, and the displacement of thousands of citizens as a result of the flood.

General Musa also assured that the Armed Forces of Nigeria would work closely with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other relevant authorities to provide immediate relief and support to the affected communities.

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, has directed the Borno State Commissioner of Police and the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 15, Maiduguri, to relentlessly harness their resources to support the government and other relevant MDAs to restore stability to the affected areas within Borno State.

Egbetokun noted that “the aim is to aid rescue operations and give support in all areas to provide succour to the state and restore normalcy as much as possible.”

Babagana Zulum, the Borno State governor, has said one million residents of Maiduguri have so far been affected by the floods which ravaged the city and its environs on Tuesday.

Governor Zulum disclosed this while speaking on the incidents in Maiduguri shortly after the distribution of food items to the internally displaced persons at the new camps set up to accommodate the affected people.

Investigations revealed that Maiduguri, an important city in the Sahelian region of West Africa, experiences both drought and floods.

Although droughts are more common in the area, floods are a seasonal occurrence in parts of the city during the average rainy season.

National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, blamed the government for the disaster.

He noted that the dam failure is a failure of leadership.

He added, “Nigerian federal government officials are highly uncoordinated and insensitive. The question we should be asking is, if the dam is overwhelmed, why was it allowed to happen, and why were there no remediation and quick rescue operations?

“ Why was this flooding not anticipated so the people could be given early warning and possibly relocated to safer places? This Maiduguri flood is a failure of leadership and one of the manifestations of bad governance.”

READ ALSO: Maiduguri flood: NEMA, others intensify rescue operations, as dozens remain trapped

Director of Disaster Management, Nigerian Red Cross Society, Mr. Benson Agbro, hinted that the organisation has swung into action.

He said, “We are waiting to hear from our partners. We are having the issue of funding; we have partners who have pledged support, but actual funding has not come. That is why I can’t give you a figure of victims. But we have our Norwegian Red Cross. They have their office here, sitting in the same building with us.

“They are committed to forming part of our assessment segment. They have also committed some resources. They actually have some of the items we need. So, we are looking at insecticide-treated nets, water purification tablets, mats, and blankets.

“Those will come from their warehouse in Jos. So you can see we don’t really need much money. Once we have these materials, we are good.”

According to another source, an engineer, “As a people and government, we don’t learn from history but repeat it.”