The heavy downpours, which lasted over four hours, have wreaked havoc in parts of Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital and the adjoining Itu local government area of the state, LEADERSHIP checks revealed on Wednesday.
The deluge of rain unleashed widespread flooding across the metropolis, turning major roads into emergency rivers and leaving scores of commuters stranded.
Houses around the Itam axis, including Urua Ekpa and Calabar-Itu highway, in Itu LGA, were submerged as residents caught unawares by the raging flood struggled to salvage personal and other household belongings.
“We are helpless. Our houses have been taken over by the flood, which came suddenly, leaving us unprepared,” Etebong Udoh, a local resident of the area, lamented.
Another affected victim, Affiong Bassey, complained that “the water has been redirected from its original course into people’s homes because of the ongoing construction work of the access road connecting Ikpa Road and Urua Ekpa, by the construction firm, BENEST Engineering company.”
Our correspondent noted that the raging flood affected Idongesit Nkanga, the state civil service secretariat, and its surrounding areas. Civil servants and office workers were seen wading barefoot through the water to safer places.
“The unexpected deluge has overwhelmed the existing drainage systems, exposing the city’s fragile infrastructure and manholes daily vandalised by crap dealers,” Bassey Effiong, noted as the flood swept through the Abak Road and Ukana Offot areas of the metropolis.
Describing the incident as chaotic and frustrating, with vehicles trapped in the middle of the surging water, Ime Esang, a minibus driver, lamented that passengers had left his bus to seek shelter at nearby shops and buildings without paying part of his fares.
Traffic reached a near standstill in several areas, with commercial tricycles and taxis abandoning routes due to the heavy traffic snarl.
“This is not just rain; it’s a complete flood. Government needs to act fast to improve drainage before the peak of the rainy season,” Nseyen Ituen, a tricycle operator, noted.
Emergency services were notably absent during the flood, raising concerns about the state’s disaster preparedness and response mechanisms.
A senior government official, who did not want his name in print, advised residents of flood-prone areas to “remain indoors, avoid flooded zones, and seek elevated ground where necessary”.
The Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has listed Akwa Ibom as one of the flood-prone states in the Niger Delta region. The velocity of rainfall is predicted to hit the state continuously for between 250 and 259 days.
The downpour, which started on Tuesday, continues on Wednesday at the time of filing this report.
