Floods wreak havoc in Maiduguri after 3-hour downpour
A heavy downpour lasting over three hours on Wednesday caused widespread flooding in parts of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, displacing many families and leaving them homeless.
The situation has already crippled vehicular movement in many areas due to floodings.
A correspondent for the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who toured the affected areas reports that the worst-hit neighborhoods include Moro-Moro, Damboa Road, Customs, Bulumkutu, Dubai near Maimalari Barracks, and Pompomari Bypass.
Residents were spotted scrambling to rescue their belongings as floodwaters swept through the streets and invaded homes, unleashing widespread destruction.
“We did not expect anything like this,” said Ibrahim Goni, a resident of Moro-Moro.
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“Our drainage systems are completely blocked, and water from the roads just flowed straight into our homes. Many people have lost their properties.”
In the Bulumkutu axis, residents used planks and tyres to cross the flooded roads.
Aisha Hassan, a trader, said her shop was submerged with most of her goods destroyed.
“It rained non-stop for over three hours. Water started entering our houses before we could pack our things. Women are crying because of their foodstuffs, clothing and other items that were washed away,” she said.
At the Pompomari By-pass, a major road linking several communities in the city, commercial vehicles and tricycles were forced to abandon the route due to high level of waters.
Motorists and pedestrians were seen wading through knee-deep water while some residents created barricades to redirect the flood waters away from their homes.
In his reaction, Mr Sirajo Aliyu, the Zonal Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said the agency was working in collaboration with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) military, police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (BOSEMA), and other relevant agencies to assess the damage in the affected communities.
He said the State Committee on the Prevention of Flood had been notified and had so far carried out initial assessments in the affected locations.
“We have received reports from several flashpoints across Maiduguri, and we have already mobilised response teams. We have visited some areas around Moro- Moro along Customs,” Sirajo said.
He said that his team were currently at Alau Dam, accessing the level of waters at the Dam.
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