Flood update: 10 missing in Suleja, EKEDC announces power cut in Ikoyi, VI + PHOTOS

Ten people have been confirmed missing and two bodies recovered in flooded areas of Suleja.

Confirming this, the Chairman of Suleja Local Government of Niger, Malam Abdullahi Maje, said on Sunday, that 100 houses were affected in the incident, adding that eight houses were washed away in the flood, which followed 10 hours of heavy  rainfall.

Witnesses had said that eight members of a family were suspected to have died in the flood which affected Suleja and Tafa local Government areas of Niger.

The head of the household was said to have survived but his  two wives and six children were not lucky.

The New Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that many families were affected with household effects floating in the water.

Many people struggled to bale water out of their houses.

Mr Mohammed Mohammed, the District Police Officer in-charge of Division ‘A’ Police station in Suleja, could not confirm the casualty figure but said his men had visited the flood scenes.

“The flood affected many people who built their houses along the river bank; many houses have been destroyed with unconfirmed number of deaths recorded.

“Police are providing security around the scene so that hoodlums will not cart away victims’ property especially those lying outside,” he said.

He promised to furnish more details on the incident.

The National Emergency Management Agency was not also able to give  details.

Meanwhile, Malam Abdulkareem Samanja, the Village Head of Hayin Nasarawa-Iku in the nearby Tafa Local Government Area decried the loss of property.

He said he was still awaiting report from ward heads on the incident.

At Suleja General Hospital, Musliu Mohammed, a 17 year-old boy, recovered from the flood and brought into the hospital by sympathisers, was placed on admission.

Meanwhile, the management of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) on Sunday announced that there would be power outage in Ikoyi, Victoria Island and its environs as the company’s injection substations and equipment submerged in the flood.

Mr Godwin Idemudia, General Manager, Corporate Communications, EKEDC, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the company was having challenges in almost all its injection substations as a result of the flood from heavy rains on Saturday.

According to Idemudia, some of EKEDC transformers in the areas have been submerged.

The general manager said that the management of the company had directed that transmission be ‘deloaded’ in the affected areas for safety.

He said that the injection substations affected by the flood included Lekki Transmission Station, Agungi , Lekki, Ademola and Anifowoshe.

“Victoria Garden City, Water Front, Maroko and Oniru Injection Stations are completely out.

“We need to look at the extent of the effect of the flood on our equipment.

“However, we are presently working round the clock to restore supply to our esteemed customers,” he said.

Idemudia appealed to the customers to show understanding over the inconvenience the outage had caused.