One dead, two missing from widespread damage in Ibadan flood

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed the death of one person, while two were missing in a flood incident on Tuesday evening around the Joyce-B-Mobil area of Ibadan.

The NEMA South-West Coordinator, Kadiri Olanrewaju, disclosed this yesterday in Ibadan while assessing the level of damage at the scene. It was gathered that a heavy downpour on Tuesday across some areas within the Ibadan metropolis affected some residential areas, leaving inestimable property destroyed.

Olanrewaju attributed the flooding to improper drainage channelling in the area, saying the volume of water in the area was too much for the available drains. He said the flood reached the gate level, adding that the area was a flash flood plain, which might result in a heavy disaster if not addressed at the right time.

“People need to move away from this place because if we have another rain, the flood will be devastating; you can see that the lower parts of most of the buildings and the fences are weak,” he said.

A resident of the area, Solomon Agboro, said the flood covered the ground floor of his building, forcing his family members to run upstairs for safety.
Agboro, who said the flood destroyed all the property on the ground floor, called on the government to aid in creating proper channelling in the area.

Another resident, Oni Bishola, said she had been living in the area for the last four years and had been experiencing flooding every year. Bishola, however, said Tuesday’s flooding was the heaviest in the area since she moved in.

She added that most household items were destroyed, like gas cookers, televisions, compressors, machines, and mattresses. She called on the management of the Ibadan South-West Local Council and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to aid in proper water channelling.

It was observed that the fence of a building under construction beside Calvary Heritage School, Felele area of Ibadan, was brought down due to the flooding.

At the Idi-Odo junction, the front of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) was flooded due to a lack of proper drainage, thus disrupting the free flow of vehicles. Some roads in the adjoining streets in the Ring Road area were also severely affected due to the heavy downpour.