Several parts of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, were submerged on Wednesday following a downpour that lasted more than three hours, leaving many residents homeless and disrupting movement across the city.
The heavy rainfall flooded major roads and residential areas, making it difficult for vehicles to move and forcing residents to navigate through rising waters.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who visited the affected areas reported that the worst hit locations include Moro-Moro, Damboa Road, Customs, Bulumkutu, Dubai near Maimalari Barracks, and the Pompomari By-pass.
Many residents were seen trying to rescue what they could from their homes and shops as the flood swept through the streets and entered buildings.
“We did not expect anything like this,” said Ibrahim Goni, a resident of Moro-Moro. “Our drainage systems are completely blocked, and water from the roads just flowed straight into our homes. Many people have lost their properties.”
In Bulumkutu, people used planks and old tyres to cross the flooded roads, trying to avoid being swept off by the current.
Aisha Hassan, a trader, said her shop was completely flooded. “It rained non-stop for over three hours. Water started entering our houses before we could pack our things. Women are crying because of their foodstuffs, clothing, and other items that were washed away,” she said.
At Pompomari By-pass, a key road connecting different parts of the city, commercial vehicles and tricycles had to abandon the route due to the high water level.
Motorists and pedestrians waded through knee-deep water, while some residents built barricades to try to redirect the flow away from their homes.
Mr. Sirajo Aliyu, Zonal Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said the agency is working with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the military, police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (BOSEMA) to assess the situation.
“We have received reports from several flashpoints across Maiduguri, and we have already mobilised response teams. We have visited some areas around Moro-Moro along Customs,” he said.
He added that his team was currently at Alau Dam to assess the water level there, while the State Committee on the Prevention of Flood had also begun preliminary checks in the affected locations.
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