Flood overtakes Lagos community, govt decries illegal structures
On Sunday, officials in Lagos State said they were taking action against those who had constructed in floodplains and drainage ditches.
The New Oko Oba community in the Ojokoro Local Council Development Area was hit particularly hard after severe rains on Friday caused structures to flood and perimeter fences to be swept away.
A Facebook video posted by attorney Jefferson Uwoghiren shows flooded homes.
The local who recorded the event reported their belongings were lost in the water.
Since 2.30 p.m., and now beyond 3 p.m., the flooding has been quite concerning; homes are being swamped.
“This is New Oko Oba, and this is the street behind Abimbola Awoliyi Estate; you can see homes being flooded, gates and fences being demolished and swept away by the water since those houses (are) near the canal,” he added.
One local, who asked to only be identified as “Dawodu” for safety concerns, said that poor canal building was to blame for the flooding.
He predicted that this would not be the first time the region was inundated by floodwaters. In May, a Lexus SUV was lost to the canal’s overflowing waters. The issue is that many canals were not built correctly, thus floods often cause property damage and even fatalities whenever it rains heavily.
Ayobo, Command, and Iyana-Ipaja are all connected by the same canal. But people living in such areas seldom face flooding problems like those in New Oko Oba and the adjacent area.
Benson Aderemi, chairman of the Iludun CDA in New Oko Oba, has reported that the government has begun dredging and rebuilding the community’s canals.
People who lived in homes near canals, he claimed, were hit the worst by the water. However, I can assure you that government efforts are being made since we have already seen contractor activity.
“Today, our CDA will even submit a report to the authorities about the flood, and ideally, when the work on the canals is done, the problem of flooding in our section of Lagos will be a thing of the past,” said the mayor of the city.
Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, permanent secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, said that there were no fatalities associated with the flooding in the New Oko Oba neighborhood.
Gbenga Omotoso, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, has urged locals to refrain from dumping trash into waterways.
People who lived in homes near canals, he claimed, were hit the worst by the water. However, I can assure you that government efforts are being made since we have already seen contractor activity.
“Today, our CDA will even submit a report to the authorities about the flood, and ideally, when the work on the canals is done, the problem of flooding in our section of Lagos will be a thing of the past,” said the mayor of the city.
Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, permanent secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, said that there were no fatalities associated with the flooding in the New Oko Oba neighborhood.
Gbenga Omotoso, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, has urged locals to refrain from dumping trash into waterways.
Join our 100,000+ members and never miss our members’ exclusive Delsu Breaking News.
Gain Access to Our Private News Room
Popular Stories right now
- Don’t abandon your marriage for peanuts abroad – Cleric
- Edo political enforcer, Kabaka, gives his life to Christ
- Lagos lottery company arraigned for refusing N72m win
