A devastating flood in the Jakande Estate area of Lagos State’s Eti-Osa Local Government Area has left a trail of destruction, displacing approximately 2,000 persons from their homes.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has disclosed that the flood, which occurred between May and June 2004, was caused by heavy rains.
According to a statement by NEMA’s Lagos Territorial Office, the agency conducted a post-disaster assessment on Wednesday and found that many structures in the area were weak and had collapsed, leaving occupants homeless. The affected individuals were seen living under makeshift tents and in unhealthy conditions.
The assessment revealed that some of the affected buildings had been marked for demolition by the state government, while others had already been demolished. The buildings included schools, religious centers, and a police station.
The floodwaters also submerged marketplaces, schools, hospitals, religious centers, and police stations in the area, including their operational vehicles. The agency’s team observed that many of the collapsed structures had been marked for demolition prior to the flood.
The flood is not an isolated incident in Lagos State. Last Friday, motorists were trapped in a gridlock on the Berger-Mowe end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway after a downpour flooded the Long Bridge section of the road. Other areas of the state, including Akowonjo, Wempco Road, Egbeda, and Lekki, have also been affected by flooding.
NEMA has called for urgent action to alleviate the suffering of those affected by the disaster.
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