Emergency responders in Borno evacuate bodies, rescue trapped persons
Thousands of families trapped in Maiduguri flooded areas are being evacuated to safer areas by the military, volunteers and other security agencies.
During a recent visit to the hardest-hit regions, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, assessed the damage, particularly in the Customs area, which also houses a broken prison.
Tragically, the recovery operation includes the evacuation of deceased individuals alongside the rescue of those still trapped.
While some parts of Maiduguri are experiencing a reduction in floodwaters, communities such as Gamboru Market, Kasuwan Shanu, the Customs area, Fori, and Abbaganaram remain submerged.
The Nigerian prison facilities continue to grapple with significant flooding, and numerous public infrastructures, shops, and vehicles are completely covered by water.
The evacuation efforts are predominantly focused on vulnerable groups, including women and children, who are among the most affected.
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The Minister was accompanied by the Controller-Generals of Immigration, Correctional Service, and the Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services Board as they worked tirelessly to provide relief to those in need.
Several aerial videos and photos shared by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) with AFP showed rows of houses submerged in murky water.
Maiduguri, an epicentre of more than a decade-long jihadist insurgency, serves as the hub for the responses to the humanitarian crisis in the northeast region.
The United Nations refugee agency in Nigeria (UNHCR) on its X account said it was the city’s worst flooding in 30 years.
“It is an unprecedented incident,” NEMA spokesman Ezekiel Manzo told AFP on Tuesday. “Some of the central parts of the city that have not witnessed flood in so many years are witnessing it today.”
Thousands of homes have been submerged by the rapid rise of waters after the rupture of the Alau dam on the Ngadda River, 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Maiduguri.
“The last three days have over 150,000 individuals with over 23,000 households affected,” said NEMA zonal coordinator Surajo Garba.
But with more locations being hit, “we are sure the figure will be much over 200,000 individuals,” Garba forecast.
“The flood, which began over the weekend and worsened in the following days, was the direct result of excess water from the Alau Dam,” said Nigeria’s Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who hails from Maiduguri as he visited the area.
“The collapse of the spillways unleashed a significant surge of water downstream, causing widespread flooding in the surrounding communities,” added Shettima.
The flood also inundated the city’s post office and main zoo, with authorities warning that “deadly animals has been washed away into our communities (sic).”
Proofreading by Fa’izatu Aliyu Doma, Journalist at Neptune Prime.
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