Residents of Ayinke Street, Shogunle, in the Oshodi area of Lagos State have blamed Sunday's devastating flood on the collapse of a section of the Nigerian Air Force perimeter fence and blocked drainage channels, saying the incident destroyed homes, damaged vehicles and disrupted businesses.
The affected residents appealed to the Lagos State Government to provide relief materials to help cushion the impact of the losses they suffered.
During a visit to the community on Wednesday, damaged household items including sofas, mattresses, clothes, television sets, chairs and other personal belongings were seen spread outside homes to dry after being soaked by floodwater.
Several vehicles were also affected. One had its windscreen shattered, while another was surrounded by heaps of refuse washed onto the street by the flood.
Large sections of the Air Force base perimeter fence had collapsed, leaving piles of bricks, mud and debris scattered across the road, obstructing movement and forcing residents to clear parts of the street themselves.
A landlord, identified simply as Moses, alleged that the flooding resulted from blocked drainage openings after environmental sanitation activities around the Air Force fence.
Recounting the incident, he said residents were still awake despite the heavy rainfall.
"At about 2 a.m., while it was raining, people were still outside. Some were even taking out refuse, and cars were still moving," he said.
According to him, workers clearing weeds and cutting down banana trees around the perimeter fence may have inadvertently blocked drainage openings beneath the fence through which floodwater usually flowed.
"They were clearing the weeds and cutting down the banana trees. There are holes under the fence where water normally passes through. Those things may have blocked the openings, leaving the floodwater with nowhere to flow.
"When the water level rose, it had nowhere to drain. The pressure caused the fence to collapse, and the floodwater rushed into our homes. Every house here was affected," he explained.
Moses said the flood caused extensive destruction, including damage to his vehicles and household property.
He accused those responsible for the environmental clearing of failing to ensure that the drainage channels remained open.
"If they had properly removed those things and allowed the water to pass freely, this would not have happened. People lost electronics, household items and vehicles. Everyone here suffered one form of damage or another," he said.
Another resident and shop owner, Bukola Fagbenro, described the flooding as sudden and overwhelming.
"The rain started gently, but before we realised what was happening, floodwater had entered every house. Many vehicles were damaged, while others had to be taken to mechanic workshops. Some vehicles were even swept into the canal before they were later recovered after the water subsided," she said.
Fagbenro added that her business suffered heavy losses after floodwater washed away her goods.
"I sell garri, and I usually keep it on the floor inside my room. Everything was washed away. We are still trying to recover from what happened. It was heartbreaking," she lamented.
She noted that the community had never experienced flooding of such magnitude before.
According to her, the collapse of the Air Force fence into the canal worsened the situation by allowing refuse and debris from surrounding areas to block the water channel.
"Previously, whenever it rained, the water flowed away within minutes. We have never witnessed anything like this before," she added.
Another resident, identified simply as Chioma, said the flood became uncontrollable after the Air Force wall gave way.
"The rain started normally, and nothing seemed unusual. Water from the Air Force Base was already flowing heavily, but everything became worse after the wall collapsed," she said.
Josephine, another resident, said she was away from home when the incident occurred but returned to discover that nearly all her belongings had been destroyed.
"I was in Alakuko when someone called to tell me it was raining heavily in our area. Before I got back home, I had lost almost everything in my house," she said.
Meanwhile, on Fakorede Street in the Shomolu area of Lagos, a food vendor, Mrs. Sajudeen, also recounted how continuous rainfall submerged homes, disrupted businesses and prevented children from attending school.
She explained that the rain started on Saturday night and continued throughout Sunday.
"The rain began on Saturday night and did not stop until the following day. By morning, the entire area had been flooded. Water entered people's compounds and eventually flooded their homes. There was hardly anything anyone could save," she said.
Describing the experience, she said, "My children's school books were floating on the water. All we could do was use buckets to remove the water from the room while praying for the rain to stop."
She added that the flooding forced her to suspend her food business while her children were unable to attend school.
Although the only personal items she lost were her children's books, she said the disruption to work and education placed significant emotional and financial pressure on her family.
Mrs. Sajudeen blamed the flooding on blocked drainage systems and poor waste disposal practices.
She urged the Lagos State Government to improve environmental sanitation by ensuring regular clearing of gutters and drainage channels.
"I believe the gutters are blocked and the canal is filled with refuse. Some people dump waste into the drains, preventing water from flowing freely," she said.
She also called on the government to strengthen enforcement of environmental sanitation exercises by inspecting communities after sanitation periods and sanctioning residents who fail to comply.
"The government should ensure that gutters are properly cleared. Environmental sanitation should be taken more seriously, and those who ignore it should be held accountable. The sanitation exercise we had in the past was more effective than what we have today," she added.
ADEOLA KUNLE
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