Residents of Lawani Street in Igarra, Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State are grappling with the aftermath of a heavy flood that wreaked havoc on the community on Monday, July 8. The devastating flood has left many residents counting their losses and struggling to recover.
During a visit to the community on Wednesday, Mrs. Theresa Moses, a widow who also runs a poultry business in her residence, shared her heartbreaking experience with . She revealed that the flood had caused significant damage to her property, including the loss of most of her birds, damage to her fence, and destruction of foodstuff and other items in her house. Mrs. Moses expressed her devastation, particularly as she had taken a loan of N3.5 million to invest in her business, making it difficult for her to repay the loan.
On the day of the flood, Mrs. Moses had left her home for a neighboring community to conduct business. Little did she know that the rain would be severe and cause such destruction. Despite having a fenced house, the flood managed to breach the premises and inundate her poultry and residence. The community rallied to save some of the birds, but a significant number perished. Mrs. Moses, who initially had 620 birds, is now left with only 140.
Interestingly, Mrs. Moses’ house is not located in a flood-prone area, and the small river behind her house is quite distant. It remains unclear whether the river overflowed its banks or if water from the hill behind her house contributed to the flooding. The entire Lawani Street, she noted, was submerged, and the community had never witnessed such a catastrophic event before.
The flood also wreaked havoc on other residents of Lawani Street. Olatunde Adelemo, whose three-bedroom bungalow was submerged, lost all his belongings, including vital documents. He lamented the unexpected nature of the flood, stating that the last time such an event occurred was in 2013.
Salami, a foodstuff trader in the area, shared her own devastating experience. She estimated her losses to be over N1 million, as her store was filled with perishable goods like rice, Semovita, spaghetti, seasoning, and salt. Salami was away from her store when the flood struck, and upon her return the next day, she discovered that her goods had been destroyed. Some residents even took away the damaged spaghetti, as it was unfit for sale.
The affected residents expressed their doubts regarding government assistance, citing previous unfulfilled promises of aid during the 2013 flood. They questioned the effectiveness of the government’s response and expressed their reliance on divine intervention to overcome the loss and rebuild their lives.
In response to the situation, the state Commissioner for Public Safety and Security, Kingsley Uwagbale, expressed sympathy for the victims and urged residents to avoid flood-prone areas. He assured the affected residents that the government was making efforts to provide assistance and had set up a Local Emergency Management Committee to identify the needs of the community. The state emergency management authority would also be present in Akoko Edo from the following week to offer guidance and support to the victims.
The devastating flood in Lawani Street serves as a stark reminder of the need for effective flood management and preparedness measures. The affected residents, while struggling to recover from their losses, hope for swift assistance and support from the government and the community at large.
