The severe flooding which ravaged Maiduguri, the Borno State capital has claimed at least 30 lives, affected one million persons and displaced 414,000 others.
National Emergency Management Agency said the flood began after the Alau Dam overflowed following heavy rains leading to the town’s worst flooding in 30 years, according to the United Nations Human Rights Refugee Council and Maiduguri Metropolitan Council residents.
NEMA spokesman Manzo Ezekiel on Wednesday said that the death toll had hit 30 and displaced persons close to half a million.
“It’s 30 people that have been recorded dead so far, around 414,000 people were displaced and are in nine IDP camps across the state,” Manzo said.
According to NEMA, more than 23,000 households have been hit by the rapid rise of waters following the weekend rupture of the Alau dam on the Ngadda River, 20km south of Maiduguri.
Reports indicate the water had receded as of Wednesday after 70 per cent of Maiduguri was submerged by the fast-moving waters, according to NEMA, which ravaged major city locations, including the palace of the Shehu of Borno, Umar Ibn Garbai El-Kanemi; the state secretariat, post office, cemetery, and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
The flood also washed away 80 per cent of animals at the Sanda Kyarimi Park zoo, and damaged houses, schools, as well as commercial and worship centres.
1m affected – Zulum
Borno State governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, said about one million people were affected by the flood.
The governor disclosed this to newsmen yesterday while distributing cash and cooked food to displaced persons taking refuge in Bakassi Camp in Maiduguri.
Governor Zulum said the full extent of the damage has yet to be determined but added that a rescue team has been deployed to affected areas to assess the losses in lives and property.
He also said a health emergency committee had been constituted to address potential outbreaks of flood-related diseases in Maiduguri and Jere.
The governor expressed concern about the spread of waterborne illnesses due to the flooding of sewage systems but assured that efforts are being made to mitigate the situation.
He said: “You can see how water completely flooded the area, sewages were completely flooded, that means waterborne diseases would be transmitted but In sha Allah we should get over it.
“As of now, we are yet to ascertain the extent of damage, but about one-fourth of the entire Maiduguri is flooded with water”, he said.