Flood takes over Maiduguri, residents displaced, govt orders evacuation

A flooded street of Maiduguri. Image credit: Daily Trust

Thousands of residents in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, have fled their homes as a result of flooding.

Many other residents are on high alert as flood has submerged many homes following the breakdown of Alau Dam that has been filled to capacity for the past one week.

The flood submerged residential quarters, roads and bridges, making many areas in the metropolis inaccessible.

Many residents of Fori, Galtimari, Gwange, Bulabulin, Post Office, Shehu Laminu way, and Custom Area have been displaced.

Even the state-owned Broadcasting Station (BRTV) has been submerged by the flood.

A NAN correspondent, who went round the metropolis, reports that the flood submerged strategic areas including parts of the Shehu of Borno Palace, Maiduguri Central Market and University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

Other areas badly hit included the GRA, Maiduguri Zoo, College of Nursing, College of Agriculture and School of Health Technology, among others.

Many residents were seen evacuating basic items to areas considered relatively safer, with some youths erecting sandbags to prevent water from entering their quarters.

The state government has ordered for evacuation of residents living along the river bank.

The state government had on Monday shut down primary and secondary schools for two weeks on account of the flooding.

A statement in the early hours of Tuesday, September 10, 2024 by Prof. Usman Tar, the Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, titled “Flooding Alert for River Bank Residents”, called for immediate evacuation.

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He said: “Due to the unusually high volume of water this year, we urge all the residents living along the river bank to take immediate action to protect themselves and their properties.

“The Alau Dam water has broken down another channel that is currently destroying farms and the water is heading toward the river bank.”

Tar also urged the residents of the affected areas to follow evacuation routes to ensure safe passage.

The last time the dam had such a problem was in 1994, resulting in unprecedented flooding in Maiduguri when almost half of the town was flooded.

The Star