Abuja communities lament as flood submerges houses, cars

Many houses were submerged after flood took over Dogongada, Lokogoma, Damangaza and Apo Dutse in the Gudu district areas of the Federal Capital Territory.

Also, two persons were rescued from the flood.

At the Lokogoma area of the FCT, houses, roads and the Dogon-Gada Bridge were affected by the flood.

The flood, which was caused by a downpour on Wednesday, affected routes leading out of Lokogoma to Gudu and Shell Cooperative through NCDC Lab to Gaduwa Estate.

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The routes were inaccessible for hours due to the overflow of two bridges linking Gudu.

Speaking to our correspondent, a resident of Efab Estate, who simply gave his name as Uche, said they had been experiencing the flooding on a yearly basis, adding that the area had become prone to flooding because of poor channelisation of water.

He said, “Today, we woke up to see many houses in the area flooded. This has been happening to us year in and year out. It is the same issue of poor channelisation of waterways. We are still pleading with the government. These waterways cut across about six estates in Lokogoma.”

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Another resident, who gave his name as Friday, said the flood swept away vehicles and rendered many homeless.

He said, “We had to wait for the water to submerge before moving out.

“Some people can’t stay in their houses for the next two days without praying that the rain should not fall and the rain has just started. Today’s flood broke a fence and washed away two vehicles. We thank God that nobody died in it.”

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The Director-General, FCT Emergency Management Agency, Abbas Idriss, said two persons were rescued from the flood.

Idriss said, “Some houses were submerged, while others were partially submerged. We rescued two persons trapped in the flood. Also, cars swept away by the flood were recovered.

“Also, following a downpour in the Lokogoma district of the Federal Capital Territory, occasioned by the rainfall of Wednesday, the FCTA will barricade the sleep road from Games Village to the Airport Road and others within the FCT in order to save lives and property.”

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