The Palace of the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Garbai Elkenemi, along with several areas in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State have been submerged in a flood that occurred during the early hours of Tuesday.
Reports from residents indicate that the Shehu has evacuated his palace and taken refuge at the Government House. A resident of Kofar Shehu expressed disbelief over the event, saying, “This is shocking! I have never witnessed this before. Even the Shehu has left his palace to the Government House.”
Worst-Affected Areas
According to local sources, some of the worst-affected areas include Lagos Street, Modugari, Post Office, and Gwange. Residents in these locations are struggling to salvage their belongings and protect their lives from the rising water.
Usman Babagana, one of the victims, mentioned that there were early warnings about the potential for severe flooding, but many residents did not evacuate because they had no alternative places to go. “We were told flood is coming. I never expected it this way. We didn’t take it much seriously because we had nowhere to go,” Babagana said.
Pedestrian’s Experience
A pedestrian, Buba Jibril, who was caught in the flood near the Post Office area, recounted his experience, noting that this flood is the worst he has seen during his time in Maiduguri. “This is the worst of it all I have witnessed since my stay in Maiduguri. I hope that this will not lead to untold hardship,” Jibril commented.
Bottom Line
The flood in Maiduguri has displaced the Shehu and affected several communities, with residents facing the challenge of dealing with a disaster of unexpected magnitude. Urgent relief efforts will likely be necessary to assist the victims and mitigate further hardship. Another concerning aspect will be, how this unexpected flooding will affect Nigeria’s already struggling food economy especially because most of these supplies come from the North. With the heavy rainfall in these areas and accounts of flooding, food production is bound to be affected, at this rate the prospect of starvation and famine is not farfetched.
