Flood sacks over 1,000 residents in llorin

Devastating flood which accompanied heavy rainfall that lasted over three hours has rendered over 1, 000 residents homeless in Odota area of llorin, the Kwara state capital.

The rainfall started at about 11pm on Monday and lasted until 1am on Tuesday.

However, during a visit to the affected areas on Tuesday, some of the victims, including traders were salvaging their damaged belongings from the flood.

Several of them including children and the aged have moved to houses of neighbours who were not seriously affected.

Some of the items damaged by the flood include clothing, furniture, household utensils, electronics and other assorted materials.

Chairman of the landlords association in the affected areas, Alhaji Yahaya Olowo-Beki, who spoke with journalists, attributed the flood to lack of drainage after the completion of the Geri Alimi underpass.

He said that “the flooding has become a constant occurrence being experienced in the area since the completion of the under -pass.”

Olowo-Beki appealed to the Kwara state government to provide drainage at the sides of the under- pass to curb the constant flooding in the area.

Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Environment, Alhaji Al-Amin Amasa, while reacting to the incident, attributed the flooding to lack of proper layout in the affected areas.

He said the flooding was not as a result of the construction of the under -pass, but as a result of the failure of the affected residents to create water ways when building their houses.