Health
Lagos flood: Residents fault Air Force fence, blocked drainage
By Uthman Salami, Iyanuoluwa Abiola, Mojoyinoluwa Oluyemi, Enoch Oluwaleke and Temitayo Oshikoya
Some residents of Ayinke Street, Shogunle, in the Oshodi area of Lagos State, recounted how Sunday’s flooding destroyed household property, damaged vehicles, and disrupted businesses after a section of the perimeter fence collapsed onto a major street.
While findings by our correspondent indicated that the collapsed fence obstructed the free flow of floodwater, causing it to spill into homes and leave widespread destruction in its wake, residents appealed to the state government to provide relief materials to cushion the impact of their losses.
When PUNCH Metro visited the community on Wednesday, household items, including sofas, mattresses, clothing, television sets, chairs and other belongings damaged by the flood, were spread outside residents’ homes to dry.
Our correspondents also observed one of the affected vehicles with a shattered windscreen, while another was surrounded by heaps of refuse washed across the street by the flood.
Sections of the Air Force base perimeter fence lay in rubble, while bricks, mud and other debris were scattered across the street.
The collapsed fence and flood debris also obstructed parts of the road, forcing residents to clear the area themselves.
A landlord, identified simply as Moses, blamed the flooding on what he described as the blockage of a drainage channel during environmental sanitation.
Recalling the incident, he said residents were still outdoors despite the heavy rainfall.
“At about 2 a.m., while it was raining, people were still outside. Some were even taking out refuse, and cars were still moving,” he said.
According to him, environmental sanitation was being carried out that night, during which weeds and banana trees around the perimeter fence were cleared.
“They (Air Force) were clearing the weeds and cutting down the banana trees. There are holes under the fence where water normally passes through. Those things may have ended up blocking the openings, leaving the floodwater with nowhere to flow.
“By the time the water level rose, it had nowhere to drain. As a result, the fence collapsed, and the floodwater rushed into the houses. Every house was affected.”
Moses said the flood damaged property across the community, including his vehicles.
“This is my car. The pole fell on it, and I have another one over there. Every house here suffered damage. People’s electronics and other belongings were destroyed. It wasn’t that the fence just collapsed on its own.
“They are to blame because they did not do the right thing. If they had properly removed those things and allowed the water to pass freely, this would not have happened.
“People are angry because they lost so much. The woman living upstairs also had her house and belongings destroyed. It wasn’t only those living downstairs who were affected.”
Another resident and shop owner, Bukola Fagbenro, said the flooding came unexpectedly and caused extensive losses.
“The rain started like a joke, but before we knew it, floodwater had entered every house. It destroyed so many things. If you look around, you will see a vehicle that was damaged, while other vehicles have already been taken to mechanic workshops for repairs.
“The flood even carried some vehicles into the canal. It was only after the water receded that people were able to move them out.”
Fagbenro said her business suffered heavy losses after the flood swept away her goods.
“I sell garri, and I keep it on the floor inside my room. The flood washed everything away. Many of us are still trying to come to terms with what happened that morning. It was devastating.
“This has never happened before. The fence collapsed into the canal during the downpour, and that made the situation worse. Dirt and refuse from other areas were washed into the canal and blocked the channel, preventing the floodwater from flowing. Before now, once it rained, the water would pass through, and within five minutes, you wouldn’t even know it had rained. We have never experienced anything like this.”
Another resident, identified simply as Chioma, said the situation worsened after the Air Force fence gave way.
“The rain started normally. There was nothing unusual about it. The floodwater coming from the Air Force Base was already a lot, but everything got out of hand when the wall collapsed,” she said.
Another resident, Josephine, said she was away from home when the incident occurred but returned to find that all her belongings had been destroyed.
“I wasn’t around when the rain started. I was in Alakuko. When someone called to tell me it was raining in our area, I said there was no rain in Alakuko. But before I got back home, I had lost everything in the house,” she lamented.
Meanwhile, a food vendor on Fakorede Street in the Shomolu area of Lagos, Mrs Sajudeen, recounted how prolonged rainfall submerged homes, disrupted businesses and prevented children from going to school.
She said the rain began on Saturday night and continued into Sunday without stopping.
“The rain started on Saturday night and continued into the next day. Early in the morning, the whole area was flooded. Water entered people’s compounds and then their houses. You couldn’t even save your belongings,” she said.
Describing the ordeal, she added, “My children’s books were floating on the water. There was nothing we could do except use buckets to scoop the water out of the room. We were praying for the rain to stop so everything could calm down.”
According to her, the flooding also crippled her business.
“I couldn’t open my food business, and my children couldn’t go to school because we couldn’t leave the house,” she added.
Although she said the only property damaged was her children’s school books, she noted that the disruption to work and education took an emotional and financial toll on her family.
Blaming the incident on blocked drainage channels and poor waste disposal, she urged the Lagos State Government to improve environmental sanitation and ensure that drains and canals are regularly cleared.
“I think the gutters are blocked, and the canal is full of dirt. I heard that some people throw refuse into the gutters, and that is why the water cannot flow,” she said.
She also called for stricter enforcement of the state’s environmental sanitation exercise, urging authorities to inspect neighbourhoods after sanitation hours and sanction residents who fail to comply.
“The government should help us by making sure the gutters are cleared. They should also strengthen environmental sanitation and monitor people who do not participate. The sanitation exercise we used to have before worked better than what we have now,” she added.
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