Residents of Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, had prayed fervently for rainfall. It eventually came on Wednesday night only to leave four people, two children inclusive, dead, with several missing and properties worth millions of naira destroyed in the storm and flood that accompanied the rain.

The Wednesday night rainfall did not give much warning of brewing disaster, therefore not many residents of Ilorin anticipated it was going to rain that much on the fateful night. However, it started suddenly, few minutes after 11 pm, followed by a devastating storm and flood which at the end left four people dead and destroyed properties worth millions.

There are fears that many unidentified bodies are still missing in the flood which occurred at Offa Garage along Ajasse-Ipo road in Ilorin which was the worst hit area. It was there that two siblings, five-year-old Abdulgafar, and three-year-old Abdulbasit, got drowned in the downpour. The incident happened at Omosebi/Adisco in Offa garage beside Royal Shekina Grant Suites.

Many shops and other buildings, including a hotel were affected in the flood which swept away over 20 vehicles at a mechanic workshop and uprooted big trees. Also, the bridge opposite the hotel had its entire front fence collapsed and partially washed away. Many residents of Ilorin came to the area early Thursday to view the devastation caused by the flood, while crying and wailing over the extent of damage. 

Some angry youths were prevented by the security agents from attacking the hotel which was equally affected in the flood. They hurled stones at the hotel, blaming its owner for constructing a slab along the waterway which prevented the free flow of water to the bridge opposite the hotel building. Many shop-owners who lost their wares worth millions of naira cried for help.

An emotional resident said, “We have complained severally about the blockage of the waterway by the hotel but nothing was done. You can see for yourself that the slab prevented the free flow of water around this area. So this flood was as a result of the blockage of the canal coupled with the fact that many people usually dump their refuse in the waterway.”

The building where the two siblings – who were said to be on vacation with their grandmother – died was completely submerged in water. The building was at the back of a three-storey building which housed many occupants and shops. Several goods were lost with residents packing out what remained of their properties.

Speaking with Weekly Trust, a distraught occupant, Nicholas Koomz, narrated the incident, saying it all seemed like a nightmare to them.  

“It was as if I was dreaming. I could not believe it when the whole house was flooded. It was in the process that the two kids got drowned. Initially we saw their grandma holding the two of them and she started asking us for help. We helped the woman to take the children to Ola-Olu hopital (near the house) but when we got to the hospital, we were told that the children had died,” said Koomz.

The victims said the damage was too much for them to bear and called for government’s assistance to enable them stand on their feet.

Many people described the flooding problem as man-made, describing it as just a tip of what was expected as the rainy season creeps in. This, many believe calls for proactive measures towards averting a more devastating danger as Kwara State is one of the states predicted to experience flooding.  

Weekly Trust observed that apart from the culvert built at the parking lot of Royal Shekinah Hotel which prevents free flow of water, the nearby canal was filled with heaps of refuse as many residents confirmed that people habitually dump their waste in the waterway. 

A government delegation led by the Commissioner for Environment and Forestry, Alhaji Abubakar Mora paid an assessment visit to the area heavily manned by security agencies, including the police, Civil Defence and officers of the State Traffic Management Authority (KWARTMA) who had a hectic time controlling the traffic.    

The commissioner toured the affected areas accompanied by the Commissioner for Urban Development, among other top government officials. He assured that government would act fast to prevent a recurrence of the flood and emphasized the need for house owners to move away from river banks. He also agreed that there was the need for urgent action on the drainage and slab. “We have seen the cause of the flood; the blockage of the drainage is the cause and we will send our experts here to tell us how to go about it. It started from Offa Garage area and came down to this place, but we will do something on time so that this type of tragedy will not happen again.”