Flood destroys properties at Mobil/Joyce B market, Ibadan

Residents and traders in the Mobil/Joyce B market of Ibadan, Ibadan South West local government experienced devastation, as heavy rainfall caused flooding that destroyed properties in the area.

Though the residents noted that flood was a yearly occurrence, they noted that the level of destruction recorded is first of its kind.

The flood, which started following the heavy rainfall witnessed in Ibadan in the evening of Tuesday, 4th of July, swept away everything in the way of the waters.

Walls of buildings that were close to the water channels collapsed, and properties of residents and shop owners were either washed off or buried under the debris of the fallen structures.

Tribune Online spoke with residents, traders and business owners at the site of the devastation and they all lamented the loss that the rainfall had brought into their lives.

A young man, who has lived in the community since 2014 said the impact of the flood was enhanced because of the ongoing construction on the fallow land in the area.

The young man, who himself experienced damages to his car due to the flood, explained to Nigerian Tribune that the construction activities were in the way of the water flow, hence the reason the water became uncontrollable.

The security guard at the construction site also confirmed that because of the ongoing construction activities, dirt and debris from a nearby event centre blocks the water channels.

Recall that the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Mustapha Habib Ahmed, recently called on the 36 State Governments and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to take necessary steps to mitigate this year’s flooding by setting up Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC).