One dies, 2 missing in Ibadan flood

One person has been confirmed dead while two others have been declared missing in a flood that ravaged the Joyce-B/Mobil area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) South-West Coordinator, Kadir Olanrewaju, confirmed the incident while assessing the level of damage at the scene in Ibadan on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.

It was gathered that the heavy rainfall in some areas in Ibadan on Tuesday, September 24, affected some residential areas, leaving inestimable property destroyed.

Olanrewaju attributed the flooding to improper channelisation of drainage in the area, saying the volume of water in the area was beyond the available drainages.

He said the flood reached the gate level, adding that the area was a flash flood plane, which might result in heavy disaster if not addressed at the right time.

“People need to move away from this place because if we have another rain, the flood will be devastating; you can see that the lower parts of most of the buildings and the fences are weak,” the NEMA official said.

Residents flee as flood ravages Kebbi communities

One of the residents of the area, Solomon Agboro, said the flood covered the ground floor of his building, forcing his family members to run upstairs for safety.

Agboro, who said the flood destroyed all the property on the ground floor, called on the government to come to their aid in creating proper channels in Ibadan.

Another resident, Oni Bishola, said she had been living in the area for four years and had been experiencing flooding every year.

Bishola however, said Tuesday’s flooding was the heaviest in the area since she moved in.

She added that most household items like gas cookers, televisions, compressors, machines, and mattresses, among others, were destroyed.

She called on the management of the Ibadan South-West Local Government and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to come to their aid in providing a proper water channel.

The Star