Maiduguri Flood: Emergency agency says situation still terrible as Tinubu directs Shettima to disaster site

The Director-General of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Barkindo Mohammed, has said the situation in flooded Maiduguri town is “terrible” as President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday expressed concerns over the disaster and directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to visit the beleaguered city.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that water from Alau Dam, which collapsed early Tuesday morning, submerged many areas in the town with thousands of displaced residents left scouting for safer places.

The recent heavy downpour recorded across the state has also led to serious flooding in Biu, Chibok, Konduga, Bama, Dikwa and Jere LGAs.

Mr Mohammed said the agency was conducting rescue operations and distributing sandbags in Maiduguri.

“Just now, we went for a rescue and proceeded to distribute sandbags in Gozari. As I am talking to you now I am trapped; we came to rescue some people and we are now trapped with my staff,’’ he said in Maiduguri on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people were in the streets with nowhere to go while some could be seen lying or sitting under tree shades with their families.

Musa Abbas, with a family of two women and six children, said he had nowhere to go as his brothers were residing in the Bulumkutu area that needed one to cross the bridge.

“The bridge is now submerged; I can’t cross and my brothers can only come for me. We will sleep here and continue to pray the rain won’t come,” Mr Abbas said.

Apprehension

On Friday, residents along the banks of River Yedzaram in Maiduguri had expressed apprehension that the river had overflown its banks.

Also disturbing to the residents was a report that the Alau Dam was filled to capacity and would be opened to discharge the excess water into the river any moment.

As of Friday, some buildings and farmlands along the river had been submerged in Gwange Ward of Maiduguri, while a stream known as Ngaddabul that also passes through the town had overflowed and the water submerged some buildings and farmlands in Maduganari ward.

“We are in distress and afraid that more rainfall or release of excess water from the dam can spell more doom for us. Already, some places like the Customs area, College of Agriculture and 505 Estates are experiencing serious flooding from the rivers,” Mustapha Ali, a resident of Gwange, said.

Abubakar Ibrahim of Bulabulin ward said some residents of the ward had started moving out of the area. “The flooding from the river is expanding in the Bulabulin area and people have started moving out,” Mr Ibrahim said.

On Thursday, the Secretary to the state government, Bukar Tijjani, when he led a team to the Alau Dam to assess the situation of the dam, assured Maiduguri residents that the state government was working with the Chad Basin Development Authority, handlers of the dam, on safety measures.

Dam Collapse

However, after the dam broke down and caused a flood that submerged many homes, the state commissioner for information and internal security, Usman Tar, called for immediate evacuation early Tuesday.

“Due to the unusually high volume of water this year, we urge all the residents living along the river bank to take immediate action to protect themselves and their properties.

“The Alau Dam water has broken down another channel that is currently destroying farms and the water is heading toward the river bank,” Mr Tar said.

He also urged the residents of the affected areas to follow evacuation routes to ensure safe passage.

The flood submerged residential quarters, roads and bridges, making many areas in the metropolis inaccessible.

A NAN correspondent, who went round the metropolis, reports that the flood submerged strategic areas including parts of the Shehu of Borno Palace, Maiduguri Central Market and University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

Other areas badly hit included the GRA, Maiduguri Zoo, College of Nursing, College of Agriculture and School of Health Technology.

Many residents were seen evacuating basic items to areas considered relatively safer, with some youths erecting sandbags to prevent water from entering their quarters.

The state government is yet to issue official figures of casualties, but it has ordered the closure of public and private schools for two weeks.

Animals escape from zoo

Residents around Sanda Kyarimi Zoo in Maiduguri, Borno, trying to escape flooding are now thrown into confusion as some animals in the zoo have started coming out.

An ostrich and a crocodile escaped as the flood rages on, raising fears that others like elephants, lions, and snakes domiciled in the zoo might find their way out at any moment.

While one of the crocodiles that escaped was found dead after it was attacked by some unidentified person. The ostrich had been wandering.

When contacted by NAN, the Director, Forest and Wildlife, Ayuba Peter, said the incident took them unawares.

Mr Peter said roads around the area had been blocked to stop human movement, while wildlife staff were patrolling to pick any animal that escaped, particularly the carnivores.

Meanwhile, a source in the zoo told NAN that about 80 per cent of the animals in the zoo, particularly the carnivores who could not escape due to their locked facility, were dead, while others like snakes and crocodiles have been washed away by the flood.

Tinubu expresses concern, directs Shettima

President Tinubu on Tuesday expressed concern over the flood and extended condolences to the government and people of the state, especially to the families that lost their means of livelihood.

The Special Adviser to the President, Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said this in a statement.

“The worst flood in recent decades, triggered by the overflow of the Alau Dam, has displaced thousands of residents and affected facilities such as the Post office and the Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

“While relevant authorities are still assessing the damage wrought by the flood, the President calls for the immediate evacuation of people from affected areas.

“Tinubu assures Gov. Babagana Zulum that the Federal Government is ready to collaborate to address the immediate humanitarian needs of the affected people,” said Onanuga.

He said the President ordered the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to assist the flood victims, and remained committed to mobilising federal resources to support the state during this difficult time.

The president also directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to immediately visit Maiduguri over the flood in the state capital.

Mr Shettima disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja, at the 17th Annual Banking and Finance Conference (CIBN).

”After this meeting with the consent of the President, I will rush to Maiduguri. The whole city has been overtaken by floods. It is not peculiar to one part of the country. We are facing these challenges right from Bayelsa to Sokoto.

“Be rest assured that the President has the nation at heart and will do whatever it takes to salvage the state of affairs,” he said

Mr Shettima expressed the sympathy of the administration to all the victims of flood disasters nationwide.

“I want to use this forum to commiserate with the people of our great nation over the flood disasters we are recording all across the length and breath of this nation,” he said.