Tragedy struck in Ibadan on Tuesday evening as a devastating flood swept through the Joyce-B/Mobil area, claiming one life and leaving two people missing. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed the casualties and assessed the damage on Wednesday.
According to NEMA’s South-West Coordinator, Kadir Olanrewaju, the flood was triggered by a heavy downpour that overwhelmed the area’s drainage system. The volume of water was simply too much for the available drainages to handle, resulting in widespread destruction.
The floodwaters rose to gate level, inundating homes and businesses. Residents like Mr. Solomon Agboro were forced to flee to safety, with his family escaping to the upper floors as the ground floor was completely submerged. Agboro’s property was destroyed, and he’s now calling on the government to create proper channelization to prevent future disasters.
Another resident, Oni Bishola, shared her harrowing experience, stating that this year’s flooding was the worst she’s seen in four years.
Household items like gas cookers, TVs, and mattresses were destroyed, leaving many without essential belongings .
The flooding also caused infrastructure damage, with the fence of a building under construction near Calvary Heritage School collapsing. The Idi-Odo junction was overwhelmed, disrupting traffic flow, and roads in the Ring Road area were severely affected.
NEMA’s Olanrewaju warned that the area is prone to flash flooding and urged residents to relocate to safer areas. “People need to move away from this place because if we have another rain, the flood will be devastating,” he cautioned.