Residents of Lagos State were, yesterday, enveloped by flood
following heavy downpour that started Wednesday night.
A number of houses and roads were submerged by the flood caused by
the rain that lasted several hours.
Sections of Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway were cut off on both sides
by the flood, leading to a gridlock.
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Lagos yesterday — : Rescue bid almost turned tragic in Shogunle as
flood sweeps Lagos
Many road users were forced to return home or seek alternative
routes, while others remained at the spot, waiting for the flood to abate.
A portion of Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road by Mobil
Filling Station was submerged, as were some areas in Mafoluku, Oshodi.
Many residents could not make it to their offices and business
places yesterday as most areas in the state were heavily flooded.
Vanguard learnt
that in some areas, many property were swept away and some major roads in the
state were blocked.
Some of the worst hit areas include: Popo Igunnu, Jimoh and
Ago-Hausa Streets, all in Okokomaiko, Iba Local Council Development Area;
Jakande in Oto-Awori Local Council Development Area; Sango, Igi avenue, GRA
Ikeja, Gbolahan Bankole Street in Igando LCDA, Aboru; Ipaja-Ayobo, Shogunle,
Apapa, among others.
Aiyepe Street in Itire, Canal Pepple Road, Shomolu, Agbado-Ijaiye,
Ikola, Agbado-Okeodo LCDA, Akintan, Cele, Bakery Bus Stop, all in Ejigbo LCDA;
Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation , NNPC at Ejigbo LCDA had its fence
destroyed during the downpour.
Disaster on bridge linking
Lagos and Ogun
The bridge linking Lagos and Ogun states at Ayobo, in Ayobo/Ipaja
Local Council Development Area, was submerged.
Six adults and a child were reportedly carried away by the flood
while they attempted to cross from Ogun to Lagos State.
At Okokomaiko, over 500 pupils of Fazil Omar Ahmadiya public
Nursery and Primary School 1, 11 and 111, were sent home by the Headmaster
after the entire school premises was flooded.
A pupil of the school, Chukwuemeka Amadi said that one of
the headmistresses of the three schools, Mrs. Asa sent them home because the
entire premises including the classrooms had all been submerged in flood.
On Jimoh Street, the flood destroyed property of the residents
leaving many to bail out water from their living rooms.
Mr. Sam Adebowale, a resident of the area, said that the water
destroyed their property because their living rooms were submerged by the
flood.
Adebowale lamented that the damage was due to the fact that the
drainage canals servicing the area were not cleared by the state government
before the commencement of the rain.
At Jakande in Okokomaiko, residents groaned as they were left
stranded for hours because the commercial vehicles and Motor cycle operators
popularly called Okada plying the routes refused to ply the flooded road.
One of the drivers, Mr. Fatai Olawale, said they could not ply the
road because the over 10 kilometre road had been flooded.
Vanguard gathered
that motorists who summoned the courage to convey passengers got stranded as
their vehicles broke down on the road.
At the Aboru area of Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development
Area, not less than 50 houses were said to have been flooded.
At Alabede area, many residents managed to wade through the flood
successfully as buses and motorcycles refused to convey them beyond that area.
At the time of this report, residents of Isheri-Olofin, Egbe-Idimu
LCDA were still wallowing in the flood and calling for the state government’s
attention.
The flooding of the area, which they said started since seven years
ago, got worse recently with the diversion of a drainage channel to the area by
the Chinese Construction Company, CCECC, during the construction of the
LASU-Iba Road. They claimed that they had sent series of letters to the
authorities over their plight to no avail.
The neighbouring communities in Ogun State were also affected.
Some of the residents had their properties swept away.
Residents who lamented the situation said it took them hours to
even leave their homes for work in the morning.
Monarch cries out
The Alado of Abule Ado in Oriade Local Council Development Area,
yesterday, cried out over the inability of his people to either move out or
return to their homes.
The Oba said: “This is to inform the state government that Abule
Ado bridge has collapsed over night. We have been cut off completely.
Our students, market women, workers and others cannot go out or
come in. An urgent intervention is needed.”
One confirmed dead as fence
collapses in Bariga
One person was confirmed dead when the fence of a building
at 34/40 Shogbamu Street collapsed on another building at 2 Community
Street Ita–Baale, Bariga Lagos.
The unfortunate incident which occurred at about 1am during the
heavy rain, killed a 22-year-old male whose name was given as Ahmed Shotuminu.
It was a pathetic sight at
the scene of the incident when Vanguardvisited as the people wore
gloomy looks. The remains of the deceased, who was said to have recently
graduated from a furniture making workshop was being prepared for burial.
A resident who gave his name as Seyi Odubanjo, narrated that the
fence collapsed at about 1am when the rain was falling heavily, adding that the
victim and his younger brother were in the house when suddenly the fence crashed
into their apartment.
“The two of them stay in the boy’s quarter of the main building
and were both fast asleep when the fence collapsed. But Ahmed was not as lucky
as his brother who escaped with minor injury.
“The bricks fell on him and he died instantly, I was sleeping in
my house which is opposite their apartment when a call came in that building
has collapsed on them and I should come and assist. I quickly rushed to the
scene but we could only see his leg while the rest of his body was covered in rubbles.”
Fresh warning
Meantime, the Lagos State Government has again warned residents to
be prepared for heavy rainfall accompanied with severe windstorm within the
next two weeks, which has been envisaged to be the peak period of this year’s
rainy season.
The alert was given by Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji
Bello, while monitoring state of the environment during the rains in the state.
The commissioner urged residents living along low line areas
of Eti-Osa, Badiya, Amukoko, Makoko, Iwaya, Ajegunle, Owode, Agiliti among
others to vacate those areas during this period, and move upland as the intense
rains would be accompanied with windstorm.
In case of emergency, residents were implored to take full
advantage of Drainage Engineers and Drainage Maintenance officers posted to all
the 57 local Government Council Areas of the state, and relate with them
effectively to solve their drainage challenges.
Bello, explained that the officers are readily available to
provide relief and solutions to all flooding challenges in each Local
Government area of the state.
Lagos urges motorists
to be cautious
The Lagos State Government has also appealed to all road users
especially motorists to observe and obey road traffic signs and other traffic
rules and regulations in the state.
Commissioner for Transportation, Comrade Kayode Opeifa who gave
the advice said that motorists needed to be more safety conscious, drive with
care and ensure that their vehicles are road worthy before putting them on the
road especially during the rainy season.
He urged them to ensure that their windscreen wipers were in
proper working order and that their tyres were also in good condition before
embarking on any journey.
Opeifa reaffirmed the commitment of the state government to safety
of lives and property and implored all drivers to avail themselves the
opportunity of attending any of the five driving institutes established by the
government for re-certification and also to enhance professionalism.
The commissioner noted that officials of Lagos State Traffic
Management Authority (LASTMA) would be on hand to assist motorists, while the
personnel of Vehicle Inspection office (VIO) had been directed to intensify
efforts and ensure non road worthy vehicles were not on the roads.