Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Many residents of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital have fled their homes following a devastating flood that have submerged houses, cemetery and a zoo in the city.
The Alau Dam, which has been at full capacity for the past week, reportedly collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday.
Several viral videos show flood sweeping through streets, forcing many residents to desert their homes for higher plains.
The areas most affected include Fori, Galtimari, Gwange, and Bulabulin.
Wild animals, including snakes, crocodiles and ostriches, were released from their enclosures at the Shehu Sanda Kyarimi Park, a popular zoo in Maiduguri, into the streets.
Aside from wild animals escaping from the zoo, a Christian cemetery in Old GRA was also submerged.
The Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, on Tuesday issued a flood alert, urging the immediate evacuation of those living along river banks.
Tar also urged residents of the affected areas to follow evacuation routes to ensure safe passage.
“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,” he said.
It was learnt that the last time the dam collapsed was in 1994, which led to unprecedented flooding in Maiduguri, with nearly half of the town submerged.
