By Uchechi Afonne
Some Lagos residents are counting heavy losses after torrential rain flooded homes, destroyed businesses, trapped families and disrupted movement across several communities in the state.
The residents, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos, recounted how the flooding forced families from their homes, destroyed livelihoods and left many appealing for urgent government intervention.
Among the worst affected is a poultry farmer in Lekki Scheme II, Mr Alex, who said he had been trapped indoors for three days as floodwaters submerged his compound and destroyed his poultry.
“For over three days, I couldn’t go out. I’m on my bed right now because everywhere is flooded,” he said.
Alex said he watched helplessly as floodwaters overwhelmed his poultry pens, killing chicks and causing heavy financial losses.
“I’m looking at my chickens dying. I’ve never experienced anything like this before. The eggs I managed to recover, I boiled them to eat,” he lamented.
The resident, who has lived in the area for more than 10 years, described the flooding as unprecedented, noting that Lekki Scheme II had previously been relatively free from flooding.
He attributed the situation to inadequate drainage and alleged that developers had built over a major canal, restricting the natural flow of stormwater.
“Those developers built on top of the canal. They narrowed it and turned it into a gutter. That’s why we’re suffering this flood,” he said.
Alex urged authorities to complete the ongoing canal project to prevent similar disasters.
Another resident, Mr Johnson of Ajiran, Lekki, said floodwater entered his apartment around 4:00 a.m., forcing his family to seek refuge in a neighbour’s upstairs apartment.
“We had to wake the children and move them to safety because the water kept rising. We have not slept properly since then,” he said.
Johnson said the flood damaged household property, including a refrigerator, mattress, electronics, food items and his children’s school books.
According to him, although flooding occurs almost every rainy season, this year’s incident ranks among the worst the community has experienced.
“I couldn’t go to work, and my children could not go to school. It means lost income and missed classes,” he said.
He also expressed concern over possible outbreaks of waterborne and mosquito-borne diseases.
At Ikotun Market, Mrs Ifeanyi Kugbala, a foodstuff trader, said floodwater swept through her shop, soaking bags of rice, beans and other food items worth hundreds of thousands of naira.
“When the rain started, water entered my shop without notice. Many of my goods were soaked, and some cannot be sold again,” she said.
Kugbala said she borrowed money to restock her shop and now feared she might struggle to repay the loan.
“This is my only source of income. I don’t know where to start because everything I invested is now at risk,” she said.
She blamed the recurring flooding on blocked drainage channels around the market and urged the government to improve drainage infrastructure and ensure regular desilting.
In Ebute Metta, Ms Kehinde, who lives on Bola Street beside a canal, said heavy rainfall had become a source of anxiety for residents.
“Once it starts raining heavily, nobody in this area sleeps with both eyes closed. We keep watching the canal because once it begins to overflow, we know water will soon enter our homes,” she said.
She said Friday’s downpour caused the canal to overflow within hours, flooding nearby streets and compounds.
“We don’t pray for rain anymore; we pray that whenever it rains, the canal doesn’t overflow. That is the reality here,” she said.
Kehinde urged the Lagos State Government to carry out continuous desilting of canals and improve drainage infrastructure in flood-prone communities.
Also, a journalist, who requested anonymity, said he and his family had been staying in a hotel for two weeks after floodwater inundated their apartment.
He said the experience had forced him to begin searching for another apartment and advised prospective tenants to consider the flood history of neighbourhoods before renting during the rainy season.
Residents blamed the recurring flooding on blocked drainage channels, indiscriminate waste disposal and rapid urban development without adequate drainage infrastructure.
They urged the Lagos State Government to intensify drainage clearance, enforce environmental regulations and provide emergency relief materials, including food, potable water, mattresses and medical assistance, to affected families. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma