The residents of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, and other vast areas of the North-East, woke up, Tuesday last week, to the invasion of massive floods which came as a result of a breach of the nearby Alau Dam after sustained rainfall. Video footages showed hundreds of houses and vehicles submerged by the flood.
Residents were seen wading waist-deep along otherwise well-paved major roads. Our correspondent reported that dangerous animals like snakes, crocodiles and others broke loose from the zoo, thus further endangering the already embattled citizens.
Among the hardest-hit areas were the Government House, Monday Market, Moromoro, Gwange, State Lowcost Estate, NUJ Press Centre, Lagos Street (one of the city's main trunk roads), Shehu of Borno's palace, parts of the University of Maiduguri and others. Cemeteries were also breached, as corpses were seen floating in the flood water.
President Bola Tinubu ordered massive evacuations and gave his commitment to relief efforts. Vice President, Kashim Shettima, quickly rushed home to Maiduguri, to assess the extent of the calamity and be with the people he governed for eight years, in their dark period of need. He was seen wading through the flood as he visited displaced persons and ordered the immediate procurement of 50 trucks of rice. According to the Vice President, it was the worst flood disaster in 30 years.
It has claimed the lives of over 30 people, with over 400,000 displaced. The scale of the disaster is expected to continue to rise. Beyond the loss of lives and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, the victims are faced with shortage of food, water and the imminence of disease outbreaks.
This is a national disaster, and it calls for all Nigerians and people of goodwill all over the world to rush to the assistance of the victims in their moment of need. It is sad that almost every state in the deeper North has experienced a measure of massive flooding, loss of lives and destruction of property.
We call on the Federal Government to declare Maiduguri a disaster zone and mobilise international support to help people hit by this year's round of flood disasters. Governments, public-spirited individuals and foundations should act fast. Though we differ in many ways and often make the mistake of allowing ourselves to be divided along those lines, we are still united in humanity. No one is above the power of natural disaster. Whenever disaster strikes, humanity must close ranks to overcome it.
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This is a clarion call on all states and people who live around dams and along major river banks. The annual weather advisories by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) and its affiliate bodies should be taken more seriously and precautions taken to evade or limit the damage.
Every flood-prone state should never be caught unawares.
