16th September, 2023
By Fabian Ekeruche
A commercial motorcycle rider simply identified as Mr. Abe was swept into a canal at the Ile-Epo area of Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos by a flood resulting from a heavy downfall early Saturday morning.
The motorcycle rider had disobeyed the advice of his colleagues not to operate in the rain, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, Territorial Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), disclosed in an interview in Lagos.
Farinloye said the incident happened around 10.30 a.m. and the victim had yet to be recovered as of the time he was speaking.
The motorcycle rider was one of the victims of the rainfall, which started early in the day and lasted for hours.
The downpour also led to floods with residents in Papa Ashafa and Fashola communities in Orile-Agege Local Council Development Area (LCDA) affected.
Farinloye said that some people displaced were taking refuge in four churches in the area.
“Some vulnerable groups have moved to temporary safe facilities, while the adults are salvaging their water-impacted properties.
“NEMA is assisting the owner of a building where the fence collapsed,” he said.
He said that there was the need to salvage the building by reconstructing the fence to solidify the base, to prevent it from collapsing on a nearby bungalow.
Farinloye said that the Director-General, of NEMA, Alhaji Mustapha Ahmed, had directed the immediate release of relief materials to the affected flood victims in Lagos.
“Children’s wear, women’s wear, mattresses, antiseptics and other immediate assistance to the impacted population at Orile-Agege Local Government Area to provide immediate succour to about 200 people this afternoon are being loaded currently, ” Farinloye said.
He appealed to Lagos residents to take utmost precautions during such heavy rainfall.
Farinloye said that NEMA and other emergency agencies were on assessment exercises at some flash points, and discussed with affected populations, proffering immediate solutions in handling such situations.
Meanwhile, a resident of the area, Mr Ibrahim Mufta, told NAN that the area was in terrible condition while calling both Federal and Lagos State governments to come to their aid.
(NAN)