Following the collapse of the Alau Dam in Maiduguri, Borno State, residents have lamented that their livelihoods have been washed away.
The dam collapsed on Tuesday, causing a humanitarian crisis in the Borno State capital as flood devastated much of the metropolis, leaving thousands of residents trapped.
LEADERSHIP gathered from officials that 37 people have been killed as a result of the flood, while prisoners have also escaped.
It was also gathered that graveyards had been submerged while dangerous animals had crept into the communities, of which about 75 per cent had been taken over by water.
The Shehu of Borno’s palace, the State Secretariat, Customs, the State Specialist Hospital, UNIMAID, and Gwange areas have been submerged by floodwaters following the collapse of the Alau Dam in the Konduga local government area of Borno State.
Millionaires’ Quarters around Gamboru Ward and its environs have been consumed. The famous Lagos Bridge, which was overtaken by the flood, has also been blocked, as has the Moduganari bypass bridge, which has similarly been submerged.
The Zoo Road was also flooded, with water gushing into the College of Health Technology Maiduguri, where students had already been relocated to the School of Nursing. The water also flowed towards the Commissioner of Police junction via Damboa Road.
Aisha Umar, a mother of seven and tomato seller at the famous Gamboru Ngala vegetable market, said most of her items were washed away by the flood. They were unaware of what happened because there was no rain.
She said that the little she made from her daily sales was used to support her husband, who was doing a menial job, to augment the needs of their family of seven.
The devastated Aisha, who is among the Gamboru vegetable sellers now displaying their goods at the front of the Stadium Shopping Complex Station Kano in the Moduganari area of Maiduguri following their temporary relocation by the State government, said their homes in the Customs area of Maiduguri were equally overtaken by the flood, rendering them homeless.
She said the flood even pulled down the muddy section of their house, adding that they now reside around the Moduganari area with relatives as displaced persons.
“We are appealing to the government to come to our aid and provide relief for our immediate needs. Feeding has become a challenge for the children as the little income we were getting before is no longer forthcoming,” she said.
For Muhammed Abba, a resident of Lagos Street in the new GRA area of Maiduguri, one of the channels from which the flood raged, the whole situation appeared like a dream because he least expected such a level of flooding at home since there had been no rainfall.
He said he was at home when he heard his neighbour’s alarm around 2 a.m. that fateful day. Upon inquiring about the reason for the alarm, the neighbours alerted him that a flood was approaching their home.
Abba said he was still discussing the approaching water when he noticed the entire area around the house gradually submerged.
He said it was then that he evacuated his family members to the Polo area of Maiduguri before returning to find the house submerged as high as his height. Hence, he fled to join his family in the Polo area, where he had taken them.
In a similar vein, another resident of the Customs area of Maiduguri, Bala Saidu, who fled with his family to the Baga Road area of Maiduguri when the flood submerged their house, said that the whole situation felt like a nightmare he would never wish on anyone.
“We were sleeping when we suddenly noticed that water was flooding into our house, even though there had been no rain in the area even the previous day. While trying to clear our belongings out of the house, the flood suddenly raged in, forcing us to abandon our belongings and flee for our safety.
“As I speak with you, there is not much left for me to feed my family. If urgent help doesn’t come from the government, many of us, the victims of this flood, might die of starvation. The flood has submerged my provision store, which is the source of our livelihood.
“We need assistance from the government and spirited individuals to cushion the effect of what has occurred to us. We don’t have clothes and other necessities for our children,” Malam Saidu said.
Meanwhile, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, who visited the various temporary centres where the flood victims were relocated in the capital, said that over one million citizens have been affected by the flood.
“We have separated them into different camps and are already providing support. We will come up with long-term and short-term measures as soon as we take the data of the people affected.
“The water this year exceeded the dam’s capacity, and we had hefty rainfall, possibly due to climate change. What we need to do now is to reconstruct the dam.
“Also, most of the waterways are blocked because people built houses on the waterways, thereby reducing the weight of the canals. This is one of the primary reasons for this problem.
“We have not seen this kind of incident happen in about 50 years. There was also the release of water from Cameroon and other countries, which compounded the problem. We went around for a rapid assessment this morning, and there are people stranded everywhere; the urgent needs are food aid and emergency medical supplies,” the Governor said.
LEADERSHIP reports that many Maiduguri residents need help accessing the capital for shopping and other necessary engagements as only one route is presently used.
Another major challenge now is the rescue and reintegration of stranded people from the communities, which the State government and the Nigerian military, in collaboration with other security agencies, have embarked on.
Food supplies for residents hosting displaced persons are also necessary. The two major bridges, the Customs Flyover and Lagos Street Bridge, which are presently submerged and blocked, provide access to communities.
Anyone caught outside the perimeter of these two bridges is wholly cut off from the metropolis, especially if they are from the Customs axis. Alternative access to the Bulumkutu axis is usually through the post office, the Zoo Road around Hisan Oil, and the Damboa Road via Machinima. For now, the only accessible route is the Damboa Road.
UN raises the alarm over cholera outbreak, malnutrition
The United Nations has raised the alarm over the possibility of a cholera outbreak at emergency Internally Displaced Person camps in Maiduguri, Borno State, due to reported flooding in the state.
A report released by the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the immediate needs are food, protection, shelter, and clean water. It added that some water sources are contaminated and could lead to outbreaks of diseases such as cholera.
It wrote, “The immediate needs are food, shelter, and clean water, with some water sources contaminated. Protection remains a significant concern, especially among unaccompanied and separated children, older persons, and people living with disabilities.
“Intermediate needs include non-food items and interventions to prevent the outbreak of diseases such as cholera in congested sites. The floods have also affected nutrition stabilisation centres treating severely malnourished children in MMC and Jere LGAs.
“Beyond MMC and Jere LGAs in Borno State, the Dalwa community in Damboa LGA is also affected, with Bama and Gwoza LGAs similarly reporting flooding,” the report said.
37 Killed, 400,000 displaced – NEMA
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said that about 37 people have been confirmed dead, while over 400,000 people have been displaced as a result of the flood.
NEMA Spokesman Ezekiel Manzo told LEADERSHIP that the Director General of the agency, Zubaida Umar, has confirmed that 37 people lost their lives as a result of the unfortunate incident.
“About 37 people have been confirmed dead while over 400,000 people have been displaced,” Manzo told LEADERSHIP.
“Rescue operations are still ongoing, and the water is receding,” Manzo added.
**Presidency, NASS devise relief strategy**
The Presidency and the National Assembly have joined forces to create a comprehensive strategy to relieve flood victims in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, revealed this collaboration following his visit to Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa.
Speaker Abbas, who visited to express condolences over the recent devastating floods in Maiduguri, disclosed that extensive discussions had taken place regarding the plight of affected residents.
He said, “I am here today to commiserate with His Excellency, the Vice President, over the devastating flooding incidents in Maiduguri. That is the purpose of my visit here, and I used that opportunity to discuss extensively the problems and the situation of the people, particularly those affected in Maiduguri.
“We have also designed some strategies and solutions by both the NASS and the Presidency, which will implement them in the next few days to assist the flood victims in Maiduguri.”
Abbas expressed confidence in the transparent aid distribution when asked about the federal government’s earmarked N3 billion intervention fund for Maiduguri.
He praised the Governor of Borno State for his reputation for transparency, stating, “I am sure that whatever will be provided for them from the Presidency will be judiciously distributed.
The Speaker also addressed flood-related issues in other states. He mentioned similar incidents in Kaduna State, where palliatives have been distributed, and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has been engaged to assist victims.
Abbas further noted ongoing efforts with the Governor of Niger State to explore ways the National Assembly can provide support.
“We are making efforts with the Governor of Niger State to see what we can do by the NASS to help, and also, all the other states that are affected, we will do what we can to help,” Abbas stated.
