By Ken Chiwendu & Rosemary Caleb
Many residents of Maiduguri and other parts of Borno State have been displaced while several missing following severe flooding caused by the collapse of the Alau Dam .
Current matters gathered that it was the first time in 30 years the state would experience such a natural disaster.
The Dam was said to have filled to capacity for the past one week before emptying its contents into wetlands and eventually streets and residential homes.
It was learnt that “the last time the dam had such a problem was in 1994, resulting in unprecedented flooding in Maiduguri when almost half of the town was flooded”
Issuing a public warning tagged “Flooding Alert for River Bank Residents” the State Commissioner of Information and Internal Security, Prof Usman Tar “, said, “Due to the unusually high volume of water this year, we urge all the residents living along the river bank to take immediate action to protect themselves and their properties.
“The Alau Dam water has broken down another channel that is currently destroying farms and the water is heading toward the river bank.”
The commissiiner also urged the residents of the affected areas to follow evacuation routes to ensure safe passage.
Our correspondent reports that the flooding did not spare animals abode as a popular zoo in Maiduguri, Shehu Sanda Kyarimi park is also affected and the fate of the animals and attendants hang in the balance.
Other locations affected include the palace of the Shehu of Borno,colleges and cemeteries.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has asked the Vice President to move to Maiduguri to check the situation. The president also directed the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA to assist the flood victims.
The President’s statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Strategy, said” Tinubu extends his heartfelt condolences to the government and people of the state, especially to the families that have lost their means of livelihood due to the disaster triggered by the overflow of the Alau Dam “
