From Eugene Agha, Peter Moses & Dotun Omisakin, Lagos
Floodwaters have swept away a pupil after two days of continued heavy downpour in many parts of Lagos State left many communities submerged.
The rain, which started on Tuesday, continued pouring till Wednesday, inundating the nooks and crannies of the state, impeding movement and leaving many residents stranded as they could not go out for work or business.
Daily Trust gathered that a primary six pupil simply identified as Joshua was swirled away by the flood in Ikosi, Ketu area of Lagos State.
Meanwhile, a heavy downpour in Issele-Azagba, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State turned tragic for the community on Tuesday.
Thunderstorms, accompanied by lightning struck 12 footballers and their referee, killing two instantly, Daily Trust gathered.
The tragic incident, which occurred in the evening, involved 13 youths who were playing football (six-aside) at the Osemeke Primary School field in Issele-Azagba.
Many districts in the commercial city of Lagos were still counting their losses as properties worth millions were damaged by the floodwaters.
Many residents who left their various houses early for work were also trapped in their vehicles while others could not leave their homes due to the heavy downpour that left major streets in Egbeda, Agege, Igando, Ikotun, Alaba International, Ajegunle and Amukoko submerged.
Other areas that affected include Lekki, Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Obalende, Ayobo; Ipaja; Ejigbo; Abule-Egba and Ogba areas of Lagos.
The headquarters of Area G police command in Ogba was also flooded, while Ladipo bus-stop, on the Agege road was also rendered impassable.
The warders’ barracks belonging to the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Kirikiri was also affected as the residential areas remained totally submerged.
Motorists and commuters were also left stranded due to the flooding in Sango area of Ogun State.
As the floods continue to sweep through streets and houses, residents have called on the government for help.
Jimoh Kamoru at Egbeda said the area had been prone to flood and efforts by successive governments to improve the drainage system had not worked.
Specifically, he blamed the state government for awarding contracts for drainage construction and evacuation of refuse in drainages to incompetent contractors.
“Some days back, heaps of refuse were removed from blocked drains and left by the side of the road. Now that the rains have come, it has flushed them back into the same drainage,” he said.
The pupil who was swept away was said to be returning home from school alongside his colleagues when the tragic incident occurred on Taiwo Street in Ikosi, Ketu, Lagos.
Reacting to the tragedy, Joshua’s mother, a fruit seller who wept uncontrollably, lamented the loss of her only child.
“Joshua died hungry and cold. He was in primary six and was supposed to write his common entrance exam,” she said.
The distraught mother revealed that she had lost her home in a fire incident and was living in a temporary shelter.
Two-storey building caves in
Similarly, not less than seven persons were rescued from the rubble of a two -torey building that collapsed on Wednesday morning in the Mushin area of Lagos.
The building was said to have collapsed with a thud around 8am while it was raining
The permanent secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, said the building caved under the heavy downpour of Wednesday.
Oke-Osanyintolu said the affected house was located along the Ewenla area of Mushin during the inclement weather.
He, however, said all emergency services, including the LASEMA, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the police, state fire service officials and medics from the Lagos State Emergency Ambulance Service (LASEMBUS) were part of the rescue operations.
Alaba market submerged
In the Alaba International Market, Ojo, goods worth millions of naira were destroyed by flood, which flowed into shops and warehouses where goods are kept.
One of the canals in the area overflowed its bank, running into shops and residents.
Residents relocate
Some of those who reside at Imude and Ijangbadi have since relocated from their flooded houses, while those who stayed back did so with the hope that the flood would soon recede.
When one of our correspondents visited Emiloju Street in Agege, Samuel Oluwakemi expressed concern over the flood, saying it has forced many residents to relocate.
“We are not enjoying this environment. Many people have left this place because of the flood,” he said.
He called on the state government to come to their aid, lamenting that the flood has destroyed some of their properties.
“We want the government to help us over this flood issue caused by lack of drainage. When rains fall, we always suffer because all properties are always soaked in water,” he added.
Latifat Anifowose shared the same thought, stressing that lack of proper drainage has worsened the flood.
“When it rains, our area is always flooded, which is worrisome because sometimes it destroys our properties. We want the government to help us find a lasting solution to it. They can do a canal beside our street,” she said.
Miscreants charge N100 to access makeshift bridge
Some miscreants have been arrested by officials of the Lagos State Government for allegedly charging residents N100 to access a makeshift bridge along the Lagos-Badagry expressway.
It was gathered that the incident occurred at Trade Fair under bridge following the floods that submerged a major part of Lagos.
A 54-second video clip showed how some hoodlums were extorting residents before they could access an alternate route at the Trade Fair under bridge.
Some residents also blamed the development on the ongoing construction along the Lagos-Badagry express way.
Lagos calls for calm, vows to demolish structures on water channels
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has called for calm over the situation, saying, “Lagos has experienced about 9 hours of non-stop rainfall since the early hours of Wednesday. This is coupled with the heavy rainfall which the state has been experiencing daily since the previous week, resulting in the rise in the level of Lagos lagoon.”
The commissioner added that the state had deployed officials of the Emergency Flood Abatement Gang to major black spots, including Iyana-Oworo, which had been cleared of all blockages.
He urged those in low-lying areas to, as a matter of necessity, relocate to higher grounds at this period to safeguard their lives and property.
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