Residents who live near the Ogun River downstream have been warned by the Lagos State Government to leave their homes and move to safe regions since this month may bring flooding.
Alagbole, Meiran, Maidan, Kara, Isheri-Olowora, Agiliti, Owode-Onirin, Owode-Elede, Agboyi I, Agboyi II, Ajegunle, Itowolo, Majidun, Ibeshe, Baiyeku, Maidan, Lekki-Ajah, and the limits of the Lagos Lagoon were the communities that were recognized.
On Wednesday, the state government issued the alarm through a statement made by Kunle Adeshina, spokesman for the Ministry of Environment.
“The latest alert emanating from the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources is a follow-up to a public statement issued by the Ogun Osun River Basin Authority on Monday showing rainfall and average water released monthly for the years 2021, 2022, and 2023 until mid-October and warning of possible inundation by flooding, which is already happening,” the statement read.
Adeshina stated that, as compared to the first 10 months of this year, rainfall amounted to 1,410.1mm, which was a huge increase. Total rainfall for the year 2021 was 969mm, while it was 1,140mm for 2022.
The alarm, according to the government, came after flooding incidents that had previously occurred in the Ajegunle and Kara neighbourhoods, as well as a separate alert from the Ogun Osun River Basin Authority on the operation of Oyan Dam to prevent flooding in September and October.
According to a statistics chart provided by the River Basin Authority, Adeshina claimed that the majority of the region’s rainfall—1,410.0 mm—had already fallen between January and October 2023.
“Likewise, the volume of water released from January to October 15, 2023, is more than the average synthesized Annual Flow volume of 1770Mcm against a Gross Storage of 27+90Mcm,” he said.
He pointed out that the state government’s top priority is the protection of residents’ lives and property, which justifies the affected parties’ urgent need for relocation. He added that the state government’s top priority is the protection of inhabitants’ lives and property.
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