30 dead, one million people affected as flood ravages Borno

At least 414,000 people have been displaced, and 30 lives lost due to severe flooding in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) revealed that the flood occurred after the Alau Dam overflowed following days of heavy rainfall, marking the town’s worst flooding in three decades, according to the United Nations Human Rights Refugee Council.

Speaking on Wednesday, NEMA spokesperson Manzo Ezekiel confirmed the rising death toll and the scale of displacement. ““It’s 30 people that have been recorded dead so far, around 414,000 people were displaced and are in nine IDP camps across the state,” Ezekiel said.

The disaster, caused by the rapid overflow of the Alau dam on the Ngadda River—20 kilometers south of Maiduguri—has impacted more than 23,000 households. By Wednesday, water levels had receded after inundating nearly 70% of the city.

The floodwaters swept through major locations, including the Shehu of Borno’s palace, the state secretariat, the post office, a cemetery, and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

The flood also ravaged the Sanda Kyarimi Park Zoo, killing 80% of the animals, and caused widespread damage to homes, schools, commercial buildings, and places of worship.

Federal government’s response

President Bola Tinubu has expressed deep concern over the flood’s impact and directed government agencies to intensify rescue and relief operations. Vice President Kashim Shettima visited Maiduguri on Tuesday to assess the devastation and meet with local officials.

In response to the emergency, Tinubu ordered the immediate evacuation of residents from affected communities, while Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum provided preliminary assessments indicating that over a million people were impacted by the disaster.

“The floods covered one-third of the city, affecting over one million people. It is very devastating,” Zulum said during his visit to one of the camps for displaced persons.

Zulum further revealed that the Federal Government had allocated N3 billion for relief efforts.

These funds will be used to supply food, essential items, and to implement long-term health monitoring strategies to prevent disease outbreaks among the displaced population. Cash distributions of N10,000 per household were also being made to flood victims.

Jailbreak

In the aftermath of the flood, some inmates from the Maiduguri correctional facility escaped after a portion of the facility’s perimeter fence was damaged by the floodwaters.

According to reports, the flood compromised the prison’s security and structural integrity, allowing inmates to flee.

Borno Command spokesperson for the Nigeria Correctional Service, Bala Adamu, confirmed the jailbreak, stating that a manhunt for the escapees was underway.

“We are still assessing the number of inmates who escaped from the prison. As of now, we have recaptured three of the escapees,” Adamu said.

On Wednesday, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, alongside Interior Minister Tunji Ojo, arrived in Maiduguri for undisclosed meetings related to the flooding and the prison break.

An official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that efforts were being made to recapture the remaining escapees.

Bayelsa affected

Several neighborhoods in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, were severely flooded as heavy rains continued from Tuesday into Wednesday as reported by The Punch.

Among the worst-hit areas were Cemetery, Azikoro, Ekeki, Okaka, Swali, Kpansia, Amarata, and Ovom, where homes and properties were submerged by rising waters.

The downpours have caused water levels in the Epie Creek and River Nun to rise steadily, raising fears of more severe flooding in the coming days.

The Federal Government through the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had previously issued warnings about the dangers of rising water levels, predicting heavy rain and thunderstorms across several states from Wednesday to Friday.

This comes as authorities, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the military, are already grappling with heavy flooding in Maiduguri.

In Bayelsa, which lies six feet below sea level, the flooding situation has been exacerbated by poor urban planning, insufficient drainage systems, and construction on natural waterways.

In areas like Amarata and Ekeki, residents scrambled to protect their homes, using buckets and basins to bail out water, while others saw their property destroyed by the relentless floods.