A devastating flood disaster has struck Ugwu Mkpume Layout, Achalla Agu community in Nkpor Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The flood, which occurred on Thursday and lasted for over 11 hours, claimed the lives of a mother of three and another unidentified person.
The victims were said to have been swept away by the flood while they were asleep, and their bodies were later found in different locations.
The flood also destroyed properties estimated to be worth millions of naira and washed away farmlands.
Many buildings in the area were submerged, and families living on the first floors of storey buildings were trapped as the flood submerged their houses.
Residents and victims have attributed the flood to the construction firm working on a road near the area, which channelled waters into their community instead of directing it to the River Niger.
The Vice President of the Ugwu Mkpume Achalla Agu Landlords' Association, Ifeanyi Oghota, described the incident as unfortunate and lamented that the good intentions of the state government in constructing roads had turned to sorrow due to the wrong channelling of the flood by the construction company.
“The damage is regrettable. We have not witnessed this type of flood in our community in 25 years. It is regrettable what the bad work of the construction company has caused to us and we appealed to the state government to come to our aid.” Oghota said.
One of the landlords, Dr Alex, said the flood caused by the heavy rains broke into their houses, damaged properties and farmlands, and swept away his pigs.
“This is what we woke up to see on Friday morning. The floods caused by the heavy rains on Thursday broke into our houses and damaged properties and farmlands. I am a pig farmer, it swept away my pigs.
He also narrated how a family of five was affected, with the mother and three children being carried away by the flood while they were asleep. The father managed to escape, and the three children were later found alive and rushed to the hospital.
The residents have appealed to the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to come to their rescue, saying that the flood from Ogidi, Umunachi, Eke Nkpor, and Obosi communities is now channelled to their layout, which has no Sacamori to accommodate such heavy floods.
The Public Relations Officer of the State Emergency Management Agency, Chinyere Nwoye, promised to send SEMA operatives to the area to ascertain the situation.
