Flood prone estates in Abuja calls for mechanisms to avert loss of lives, properties

By Fatima Saka

The Nigeria Meteorological Agency, NiMet, has predicted an early downpour in 2022 and this downpour is predicted between April and May in the Central part of Nigeria while Northern states will experience the same between June and July this year.

With the forecast, the Nigerian government needs to put mechanisms in place to sensitize citizens on the implications of the NiMet weather forecast and also step up campaigns against activities that encourage flooding.

In recent times some communities were ravaged in Abuja and other parts of the country because of devastating effect of flooding.

Flood, according to experts, is an overflow of a large amount of water beyond its normal limits, especially over what is normally dry land.

Human behaviours in the environment often increase the intensity and frequency of flooding. That is deforestation and removal of wetlands, dumping inside drainages, indiscriminate blocking of water channels, among others.

Other causes of flooding include climate change and sea level rise which may result in an increase in rainfall or heavy downpour, changes in waterway course or flood controls such as with levees, and larger environmental issues.

In particular, climate changes increase rainfall and extreme weather events increase the severity of other causes of flooding resulting to more intense floods and increase in flood risk.

These cities and towns that are built on water bodies or close to waters are at risk of issues like flooding.

However, Abuja was hit by flooding last year, there were reported cases of loss of lives, destroyed properties which resulted to rendering some people homeless at Lugbe in Abuja.

With related issues of flooding, communities like Light Gold and Wisdom Estate Lugbe, most especially Trademoore estate has a devastating experience of flooding for some time now.

Trademore Estate has been witnessing flood since its inception but on August 26th, 2021, it became overwhelming and a remarkable day for the residents of Trademoore Estate, Lugbe, F.C.T, Abuja.

Some laid blame on the developer for poor building plans, while some said the ways drainages have been channelled from different sources into trademoore.

They, however called for government intervention.

A security guard, Suleima Nuhu (eyewitness) who spoke with Nature News said, “we usually experience flood every year when it rains, but not as last year, the last year flooding was very heavy to the extent of taking lives and loss of properties.

“We were at the gate while it was raining heavily, we saw some people returning from work but a particular man who drove a range rover jeep refused to listen, and before we knew what was happening we saw the jeep capsized (overturned in the flood) his dead body and those of other victims were recovered the next day”, he said.

Nuhu further disclosed that, the government came and took the names of those affected and marked houses that were affected by the flood.

He explained that ever since the government did that, they have not heard from them.

“We have not set our eyes on the government. It is only the developers that have started working on the drainage, who also demolished some houses that have been marked for demolition which are disrupting the water from flowing.

Meanwhile, he said, some residents that live close to erosion prone areas have started leaving the estate to avoid what happened last year.

Also, speaking another resident in the area Mr. Uchechukwu Moses blamed the government for the flood in their area, adding that there are different sources that has been channelled into Trademoore.

He further expressed that it was sad and devastating for them in the estate, adding that the Government has refused to do what they are supposed to do.

The Government only came when the flood happened, and probably they are waiting for the next heavy rain and flood to begin.

“The flood is not only from Trademoore, it is coming from outside and there are other factors, places that water has been diverting into Trademoore, the government should channel the water elsewhere,” he stated.

Also, he said, the waterways into Trademoore are narrow, even at the major express; it’s just a tiny ring, the water goes and returns into Trademoore, the water doesn’t have a free flow.

However, the agencies that visited during the flood are NEMA, FERMA and FCDA.

He added that more than one channel of water diverted into their estate causes erosion and resulted in cases of flooding. Most of the residents of Lugbe are now living with fear, especially with the prediction of NiMet.

They are hoping that the government will take drastic measures to save them from impending danger which may materialize in the form of flooding.