10th April, 2014
Stephen Oni/Ilorin
Two children reportedly drowned in Ilorin, Kwara state capital, during a storm that accompanied a downpour on Wednesday night.
The rain which started around 11 pm wreaked havoc in most parts of the state capital with Offa garage being the worst hit.
Two kids simply identified as Gafar, aged five, and his three-year-old brother, Basit, were said to have drowned when a rented three-storey building where they were living with their grandmother was submerged by flood-water along Omosebi Hospital area off Ajasse Ipo road in Ilorin.
Residents said that the flood was as a result of blockage of drainages around the area which prevented free flow of water to the nearby bridge opposite a popular hotel.
Fences of most of the buildings around the area including that of a hotel collapsed while big trees were uprooted and blocked the ever-busy Ajasse-Ipo road thereby causing traffic gridlock.
Our correspondent who visited the area on Thursday reports that a part of the bridge collapsed while many private and commercial vehicles,carried away to some destinations, were badly damaged as they somersaulted in the process.
One of the occupants of a damaged building, Mr. Nicholas Kooms, said the children, who were overpowered by the heavy flood, were swiftly rushed to a nearby Ola-Olu Hospital where they were both confirmed dead. They called for government assistance.
Officers and men of the State Police Command, Civil Defence, Road Transport Management Authority, KWARTMA, were on ground to provide security and control the traffic.
State Commissioner for Environment and Forestry, Alhaji Abubakar Mora, visited the scene to assess the level of devastation and pledged government’s intervention.
Police spokesman, Mr. Okasanmi Ajayi, confirmed the incident, saying officers of the command were on ground to provide security.