Flood Sacks Lagos Villages

Massive flood has sacked over nine communities in Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area, LCDA of Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, rendering over 5,000 people homeless.

The Lagos State Government has appealed to residents in the affected areas and those that might be affected soon if the rains persisted to vacate the areas in order to safeguard lives and properties.

The affected communities are Ajegunle, Agiliti, Isheri North, Owode -Onirin, Ikorodu, Majidun, Orile Odo-Ogo, among others.

Persistent rainfall in Ogun, Oyo and Lagos states swelled River Ogun, causing it to overflowing its banks.

Many houses in the areas have been completely taken over by the flood while their occupants have deserted them to avoid being killed. Properties worth millions of naira have also been destroyed.

Several cars, furniture, shops and others have also been submerged in water as some residents were seen in canoes escaping from the flooded villages.

Ikorodu road has been flooded, leading to traffic gridlock, while officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA ,have moved in to direct traffic.

Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, who led officials of the ministry to visit the affected areas on Sunday, said the water level at Ogun River had risen beyond four metres, saying that the crisis could still be manageable as at now.

Bello warned that more rains should still be expected, adding that if the rains persisted for three days, the situation would be unmanageable and asked the residents of the areas to relocate immediately.

“It has been raining more than usual in the southwest, especially Ogun State which records the highest rainfall. Ogun River has overflown its bank which resulted in the flood. No water has been released from any of the dams.

“We knew that any water released from the dams will spell doom. We have been working with the Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority in the last seven months and water will not be released. It is the Ogun River that has overflown its bank because water from it must get to the lagoon,” he stated.

According to the commissioner, “the people affected were those also affected last year. Those affected now are those living on the plain, which are wetland places. Houses built in these places were illegally constructed.”

Bello, however, said the state government was working hard to mitigate the impact of flood in the state, but noted that the government could not guarantee a flood-free Lagos as the impact of climate change was being felt in world over.

“There is no way we can guarantee you a flood-free Lagos and there is no country in the world where flood-free can be guaranteed. 10 years ago in Lagos, October used to be dry season but now the rains are falling this month.

“We are likely to have more rains but we don’t know if it will be staggered rain or not; if you have rain for three days consistently, we expect a worse situation. The people here have to leave; it is in their own interest and they have no choice,” he added.

On the N700 million released by the Federal Government as ecological fund to Lagos last year, Bello disclosed that the money was still intact and had been put in a dedicated account to develop a new housing scheme in Agbowa and that the scheme was ongoing.

The commissioner said once the housing scheme was completed, government would relocate residents of Ajegunle and other flood-prone areas in Ikosi-Isheri to the scheme and then demolish the illegal houses in the area.

Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Lagos Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu said residents of the area just have to leave the place as they were illegal occupants, adding that after government camped them for 10 months, they returned again to live in the area.

He stated that if the situation was out of control, the state government might decide to re-open the camp to allow victims of the flood to live there as a temporary measure to mitigate the impact of the flood.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga