Skip to main content

Rain causes floods in Maiduguri

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State

An early morning downpour in Maiduguri on Saturday flooded many areas and residents found it very difficult to come out of their homes.

Affected areas included Jajeri, Ummarari, Ngarnam, Simari, London-Ciki, Customs, Dala, Gomari Airport, as well as Gomari Costain, Damboa road, Ruwan-Zafi.

Most access roads in the areas have been submerged, making it difficult for passage in and out of affected areas.

A cross section of residents of Maiduguri said that the rain was heavy and they did not make any arrangement for it.

Malam Bukar Wasala, a resident of Ruwan-Zafi, said that his house had been flooded.

Wasala said, “the rain started gradually around 4.30 a.m as we were preparing for the early morning prayers but by 5.30 a.m., my house was already flooded, we had to evacuate our things to a friend’s place for safety.”

He added that the problem of flooding had been a recurring event in the area as there was no proper drains “and residents dump refuse anyhow they like.

“We face the problem of flooding every year in this area; sometimes; we have to evacuate our belongings to other places pending when the rains will stop before coming back.

“Our basic problem is the lack of drainage system in the area.”

Malam Garba Muhammad, a resident of Ummarari, said “the problem is that our area is not a government planned residential area; most people build their homes anywhere they wanted.

“Some of these houses are built on water channels, thereby blocking water passage.”

Also reacting, Malam Nasiru Surundi, the Sole Administrator, Borno State Environmental Protection Agency (BOSEPA), said government had put in place machinery to address the problem.

Surundi pointed out that the Agency had cleaned up all drains before the rainy season to prevent flooding.

He blamed the problem on residents dumping refuse into the drains, thereby blocking them.

He said “we took a precautionary step before the commencement of the rains. Initially, we cleaned up all drains but the problem is that people keep |
dumping refuse into water channels, thereby blocking water ways.”

He, however, added that the Agency had placed its workers on alert to clear any drains found blocked during the rains, stressing that “we will be
on alert for any blocked drain; once there is blockage, we will move to the site and clear it.”

He said that BOSEPA had also cleared major water channels causing flooding in the state capital.

“We have addressed the issue of Bolori water channels linking to Ummarari and Ngarnam. The second issue is the one in Gwange, Bama road to Custom bridge.

“But the one that is normally giving us problem is that of 505 Estate area; it is not possible to address that one now because it has linkage with the water treatment plant.

“Once the water is released there is no way you can enter into the river channel to effect repairs,’’ Surundi said.

He noted that the Agency was working with a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Action Against Flood, to provide lasting solution to the perennial
flooding in the state capital.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Houthis Claim Attack on Central Israel in Response to Gaza ‘Massacres’

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has taken a concerning regional turn as the Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for an attack on central Israel. The group announced this as part of their escalating response to what they describe as "massacres" in Gaza amid the Israeli military’s operations in the strip. Details of the Attack The Houthis, a Shiite militant group with ties to Iran, declared that they launched missile and drone strikes targeting Israel. While the exact impact of these attacks remains unclear, reports suggest that Israel’s defense systems intercepted several threats over its airspace. This marks a significant escalation as the Houthis widen their involvement in the conflict beyond their typical operations within Yemen and neighboring Saudi Arabia. The Houthis’ Justification In their statement, the Houthis framed the attack as retaliation for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which they characterized as indiscriminate bombings resultin...

Fire: UniJos Senate convenes emergency meeting on Monday

Fire at the University of Jos Library University of Jos is to convene an emergency senate meeting on Monday to review the level of damage done to the institution by the Saturday night inferno. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sebastian Maimako, disclosed this on Sunday after inspecting areas affected by the incident. The fire, which lasted for more than six hours, destroyed the Library Complex that equally houses the faculties of management and social sciences. The fire also destroyed examination scripts, books and very crucial materials. Consequently, the vice-chancellor said “the Senate will meet tomorrow (Monday) to take a decision about the unmarked examination scripts that were burnt.” On the cause of the inferno, Maimako said investigation had commenced, adding that “nothing has been confirmed yet. We are still investigating.” The vice chancellor said the school was already working with federal authorities toward establishing a main fire station since the mini fire station in t...

NDLEA arrests 252 suspects, seizes 3,073 kg Indian hemp

NDLEA operatives The NDLEA in Niger on Monday said that it had arrested 252 suspects and seized 3,073.9 kilogramme of Indian hemp(cannabis sativa) in the state. The NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Joseph Iweajunwa, who disclosed this in Minna, said that the operations were carried out between January and September. “Our operations in Niger State from January to September 2016 led to the arrest of 252 suspects and seizure of 3,073.997 kilogramme of cannabis sativa,’’ he said. Iweajunwa said that within the period, the agency also seized 1, 530 litres of liquid drugs, especially cough syrup with codeine. He said the NDLEA also counselled and rehabilitated 90 drug addicts in the state within the period under review. The agency, he added, secured convictions of only nine of the suspects because the judge at the Federal High Court, Minna, went on leave. “ Now that the judge has resumed more suspects will be tried,’’ he said. He advised motorists, especially commercial vehicle dri...