Residents of Ayinke Street in the Shogunle area of Oshodi, Lagos State, have appealed to the state government for relief after Sunday’s flooding destroyed household property, damaged vehicles and disrupted businesses following the collapse of a section of the Nigerian Air Force base perimeter fence.
Findings by Nigerian Mirror showed that the collapsed fence obstructed the free flow of floodwater, causing it to spill into nearby homes and leave widespread destruction.
When our correspondent visited the community on Wednesday, damaged household items, including sofas, mattresses, clothing, television sets and chairs, were spread outside homes to dry. One vehicle had a shattered windscreen, while another was surrounded by refuse washed onto the street by the flood.
Sections of the Air Force perimeter fence lay in rubble, with bricks, mud and other debris scattered across the road. Residents were seen clearing parts of the street after the collapsed fence and flood debris blocked access.
A landlord, identified only as Moses, blamed the flooding on blocked drainage openings beneath the Air Force fence, which he said became clogged during an environmental sanitation exercise.
“At about 2 a.m., while it was raining, people were still outside. Some were taking out refuse, and cars were still moving,” he said.
According to him, Air Force personnel had been clearing weeds and cutting banana trees around the perimeter fence before the incident.
“They were clearing the weeds and cutting down the banana trees. There are holes under the fence where water normally passes through. Those things may have blocked the openings, leaving the floodwater with nowhere to flow.
“By the time the water level rose, it had nowhere to drain. The fence collapsed, and the floodwater rushed into the houses. Every house was affected,” he said.
Moses said the flood damaged property throughout the community, including two of his vehicles.
“This is my car. The pole fell on it, and I have another one over there. Every house here suffered damage. People’s electronics and other belongings were destroyed.
“They are to blame because they did not do the right thing. If they had properly removed those things and allowed the water to pass freely, this would not have happened,” he added.
Another resident and shop owner, Bukola Fagbenro, said the flooding came unexpectedly and caused extensive losses.
“The rain started like a joke, but before we knew it, floodwater had entered every house. It destroyed so many things. Some vehicles were damaged, while others have been taken to mechanic workshops.
“The flood even carried some vehicles into the canal. It was only after the water receded that people were able to move them out,” she said.
Fagbenro said her garri business suffered heavy losses after floodwater swept away her stock.
“I sell garri, and I keep it on the floor inside my room. The flood washed everything away. Many of us are still trying to come to terms with what happened. It was devastating,” she said.
She added that residents had never experienced flooding of such magnitude, blaming the situation on the collapsed fence and blocked drainage channel.
Another resident, identified simply as Chioma, said the situation worsened after the Air Force fence gave way.
“The rain started normally. There was nothing unusual about it. The floodwater coming from the Air Force base was already a lot, but everything got out of hand when the wall collapsed,” she said.
Josephine, another resident, said she returned from Alakuko to discover that floodwater had destroyed all her belongings.
“I wasn’t around when the rain started. Before I got back home, I had lost everything in the house,” she said.
Meanwhile, a food vendor on Fakorede Street in the Shomolu area of Lagos, Mrs. Sajudeen, said prolonged rainfall from Saturday night into Sunday submerged homes, disrupted businesses and prevented children from attending school.
“The rain started on Saturday night and continued into the next day. Early in the morning, the whole area was flooded. Water entered people’s compounds and then their houses. You couldn’t even save your belongings,” she said.
She said floodwater damaged her children’s school books and forced her to suspend her food business.
“I couldn’t open my food business, and my children couldn’t go to school because we couldn’t leave the house,” she added.
Sajudeen attributed the flooding to blocked drainage channels and indiscriminate waste disposal, urging the Lagos State Government to improve environmental sanitation and ensure drains and canals are cleared regularly.
“I think the gutters are blocked, and the canal is full of dirt. I heard that some people throw refuse into the gutters, and that is why the water cannot flow,” she said.
She also called for stricter enforcement of environmental sanitation exercises, saying authorities should inspect neighborhoods after sanitation hours and sanction residents who fail to comply.
