Eight People Confirmed Dead After The Turbulent Flood Swept People Into Canal

A trader who sells animal feed in the area, Owo Iya, who had witnessed various tragedies on account of the annual flooding, said the situation was so bad that even if it was only drizzling, “you would know who owned which vehicle because people would rush out to go and park elsewhere.” ........

Close to her shop is the canal, which is said to have been undergoing construction for about three years. According to some residents, the uncompleted canal contributes significantly to the havoc residents of the area have had to live with.

To many residents of Oko-Oba and Orile-Agege in Lagos State, the rainy season can be a dreadful period. While the season brings a lot of relief from the heat wave and dust that accompany the dry season, the apprehension of the residents about the season would seem understandable. 

The residents lamented that the resultant flood from heavy rainfall and abandoned canals in the area had wreaked serious havoc in recent years, such that once heavy clouds begin to gather, they run helter-skelter unsure of what the aftermath would be. 

“Anywhere you are, you have to run helter-skelter when you notice that it might rain,” a resident of the area, James Joel, said. “People ensure that their children are indoors and if the parents are not around, they call neighbours or trusted adults nearby to be sure they are safe. When it rains, no matter how large a vehicle is, even if it is a truck, it will be swept off by flood into the canal.” 

Eight persons were feared killed on June 15 after flood swept them into the canal while they were onboard tricycles.

The whereabouts of an unidentified woman, her baby, and six persons, including a man identified as Umar, are still unknown after the flood swept them into the canal. Residents said that was not the first of such tragedies. 

Meanwhile, the Chairman, Orile Agege Local Council Development Area, Johnson Babatunde said that he was aware that five persons were swept away by the flood while wondering why the tricyclist drove in the flood. 

“There were five people in the tricycle,” he told our correspondent. 

Also, during the Eid-el-Kabir festival in 2022, seven persons were swept into the canal on Fatoki Street, an incident residents described as heartbreaking. 

“It was as if the world was crumbling when those people inside vehicles were swept away by the flood,” the Secretary, Orile Agege Community Development Association, Gbenga Oloyede, said, adding, “Although we as a CDA are not quiet about the issues in this area, we appeal to the government to help us do something about it. 

“There was a time a lady fell inside the gutter in one of the streets. When such happens, some of us usually rush to a particular part of the gutter to quickly block it so that the victim doesn’t get swept into the canal. I don’t know why they built a gutter and left it open.”

The river channel that runs through the community is quite long, to the extent that our correspondent counted at least four bridges in the community. However, all of them were in a deplorable state and appeared more of death traps, as the river had torn most sides of its channel. 

Some of the bridges show signs of defect while others under construction have been abandoned for about two years, according to residents. 

The bridge on Ogundele Street, according to the residents, is one of the most dangerous crossings. Our correspondent observed that the surface was previously laced with interlocking stones that have mostly failed, subjecting drivers to torturous moments. Even motorcyclists and their passengers are not spared; they hold themselves firmly for the fear of being plunged into the canal. 

Our correspondent observed that part of the pillars of the bridge had been washed away by the flood, with a part of it still floating on the canal. A part of the road that leads to the bridge is also being gradually washed off. The bridge poses serious danger for commuters when it rains as the flood from the canal overruns it. 

At another bridge, a few metres away from north of Ogundele Street, a resident, Joel, narrated how his car almost got stuck.

“This particular bridge was brought down so that another one could be erected, but the new one is not even as strong as the old one. A car can fall off from the side of the bridge,” Joel said.