Metro

Lagos Flooding: Rescuers Recover Two Corpses, Save Nine

Published

3 years ago

September 13, 2022

Two persons lost their lives during the flood that submerged various communities in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State on Monday.

The Lagos Territorial Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency, Ibrahim Farinloye, in a statement, said the flood caused by the torrential rainfall, swept the victims away in the Iyana Ipaja and Command areas of the state.

He said one of the victims, identified simply as Alfa, had escaped with his wife and four children, adding that he returned to his house to pick some items when the flood that submerged his house swept him away.

Farinloye said, “Two adult men were swept away at Iyana Ipaja and Command areas of Lagos State. A man simply known as Alfa was swept away as a result of heavy downpour that caused flooding that took over the whole communities of Ajayi Street, Olubodun Ifesowapo, Olubodun, Fafunwa, Ipaja West, and Tioluwani, in Alimosho LGA.

“The deceased was said to have initially escaped with his wife and four children but the man was said to have returned to his house to pick some items in the course of which he was swept off.”

However, two other persons with him escaped with the help of the community members.

He said, “The family of Alfa had been evacuated to a relative’s residence. While another adult man, who was said to have missed his steps on the Command Bridge, fell into the running water. But before help could reach him, he had been carried away.”

In another development, nine ladies were rescued when a one-storey building that was submerged started sinking on Akinwunmi Street, Mende, in the Maryland area of the state.

During a visit to the area, our correspondent observed that other buildings close to the building were also affected as landlords and residents in the affected houses were displaced.

It was also observed that the issue of flooding had been a reoccurring problem affecting residents in the community.

Speaking, a lady identified simply as Blessing, said she raised the alarm over the incident, adding that she took a video recording of the situation and sent it to her company, prompting her company’s safety manager to alert emergency responders.

Blessing said, “I forwarded a video to my office group telling them that the flood occurrence is the reason I could not come to work, because there was no place to pass. My office representative asked if I had been able to come out of the building, and I said no. So, the safety manager of my office alerted rescue agents to come down to Mende and we were rescued.

“However, we always have the area flooded once there is a heavy downpour. Around 6.00am, we heard a collapse, which happened to be the fence demarcating our building and an abandoned building.

“I initially thought it was thunder and lightning, it was when my neighbours started knocking on the door that I knew it was the fence of our building that collapsed. We were all standing on the staircase of the building when the rescue team swam from the outside to start taking us out.”

Also speaking to The PUNCH, a sister of one of the rescued victims, Tosin Ademuyiwa, said this was not the first time that such an incident would happen in the community.

She said, “Immediately the fence fell, the flooded water from the adjoining abandoned building entered our premises. We never expected the rescue team agents; we were only expecting a few guys to help us out of the building.

“The NEMAN officials backed two teenagers, Mohammed Amina, and the younger sister of Blessing, to safety. They were carried because they were scared of putting their legs in the flood, and we the adults were held by the hands, as we came out of the waterlogged area.”

The landlord of the building, Daniel Okereke, while refuting the claim that his building sunk, said this was the first time the flood happened in such magnitude in the community.

Okereke said, “This is not a normal occurrence, as this is the first time it is happening in this magnitude. Since I moved in here in 2008, it has never been like this. We were all shocked because I have never left my house from the balcony; my pregnant wife and I had to leave my house from the balcony with the use of a ladder because of how bad it was.”

Another landlord in the area, Sylvester Diugwu, said the flooding was caused because the canal had been blocked.

He said, “We have written to the government as regards the blockage of canal. As you see that bamboo tree, it grew inside that canal and blocked that place. Anytime there is rain blocking the area, there is no channel to locate the lagoon, so the whole rain comes onto the street.”

The spokesperson for the Mende Community, Olumide Ogunbowale, said, “Those people were not trapped because this is not the first time, it is just like normal Lagos natural disasters, which rescinds after the flooding.”

Reacting to the flooding in Mende, Farinloye said, “NEMA received a distressed alert on a sinking storey building where nine people are said to be trapped.

“The torrential rainfall, which lasted for about four hours in the early hours of the day, flooded lots of communities in Lagos State. The NEMA advance team upon close observations called for more reinforcement of personnel.

“The landlord of the building had used a ladder to escape, but NEMA questioned him for failure to contact emergency responders, but someone from one of the trapped victim’s offices contacted NEMA.

“The agencies on the ground now are LASEMA, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and Police Disaster Management Unit. The rescue activities have commenced, and all the nine trapped ladies have been successfully rescued.”

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Olufemi Oke-Osnayintolu, and the Director, Lagos Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, also confirmed the incident.

PUNCH

Metro

PHOTOS: Residents Cry For Help As Flood Ravages Delta Community

Published

3 hours ago

November 8, 2025

Editor

Natives of Souragbene community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State have cried to the Delta State Government and the local government council chairman for urgent help as flood submerges the community.

In a video that has gone viral, a young lady is seen with school pupils and other adults lamenting “we are at this moment gathered here inside water in Souragbene to tell the whole world that flood has taken over our community.”

According to her, “Our children had to literally swim in the flood to get to their schools. They get soaked; they get so dirty in the process.”

“Our houses have been submerged — we have nowhere to go. We are literally swimming in the flood to our children’s schools. Is this okay? Yet we have well-connected people as indigenes; we have wealthy people; we have those politicians who are connected to the government, yet they feel no concern about the community.”

Another woman appears in the video with the pupils inside the flood, saying in a sober voice: “We greet the government from here. We know you are trying your best. Today, we are gathered here in Saurogbene community, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.”

The woman, while lamenting in the video that the flood has lasted for seven days, added: “Because of the flood we can no longer do anything. Our children do go to school but because of the flood, they can no longer go to school. We have to use a woodenboat to ferry them to school in the flood. You can see the suffering of the children.

“When the flood starts, for 3 to 4 hours, everything stands still. And if everything stands still, we cannot do anything. Imagine we, not doing nothing for four hours because of flood, how do we survive?”

She appealed to Delta State governor, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, the local government council chairman, Chief Sylvester Oromoni, and well-meaning Nigerians and Deltans in particular to come to their rescue.

A man identified in the video as the
spokesman of the community appears in the video lamenting: “Because of the flood, everyone literally swims. Hon Sylvester Oromoni, you are the chairman of this local government. We are begging you to come to our rescue.”

Metro

Court Sentences 11 to 79 Years Improvement In Edo

Published

1 day ago

November 6, 2025

Editor

The Federal High Court in Benin, Edo State, has sentenced a forty-nine year old drug baron, Alaba Monday and 10 others to 79 years in prison.

They were convicted by Justice B. O. Quadiri and Justice Prof. C. O. Obiozor.

Mitchell Ofoyeju, state commander of the NDLEA who disclosed this to newsmen in a statement on Thursday, said those convicted were nine male and two female suspects.

Ofoyeju stated that those convicted were nine male and two female suspects.

According to apart from Monday, others that were convicted are Okpiaesi Abraham (52 years), Atari Isreal (45 years) Emmanuel Nwosu (46 years) and Samuel Samson (26 years).

Daniel Peter (20 years), Margaret Amuludu (40 years), Abel Edah (31 years) Bella Fedrick (29 years), Lucky Aligbe (50 years) and Benson Uponi, 65 years old were also convicted.

He added, “Among the standout cases was the conviction of Alaba Monday, who was caught with 115 kilograms of cannabis. He got a 15-year sentence with a fine of N3 million. Another convict, Lucky Aligbe, was sentenced to 25 years in prison over unlawful possession of drugs, including cannabis, tramadol, swinol, and diazepam.

“In this case, the presiding judge, Hon. B. O. Quadiri, noted that the quantity and types of drugs and the convicts’ previous conviction record involved warranted a severe sentence, especially as the need to deter similar future offences remains paramount.

“In another case, Bella Fedrick was sentenced to two years in prison or the option of paying a fine of N5 million for unlawful possession of 29 grams of methamphetamine.

“This case highlights the ongoing battle against synthetic drugs, which have become increasingly prevalent in communities.

“The court also dealt a heavy blow to cannabis cultivation with the conviction of Abel Edah, who, alongside charges of unlawful possession involving 5 kilograms, was found guilty of cultivating a cannabis farm spanning 0.678 hectares. Edah received a concurrent two-year sentence on both counts or the option of a 5 million Naira fine for each count.

“Also, Samuel Samson and Daniel Peter, who were both sentenced for unlawful possession and cultivation of cannabis sativa. They each received a sentence of two years or the option of a N5 million fine.

“Emmanuel Nwosu got 15 years for possessing 276 grams of cannabis with an option of N750,000. Also noteworthy was the conviction of Atari Israel, who got two years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession and transportation of 9 kilograms of cannabis with a 2.5 million naira fine. The court, however, authorised the forfeiture of his navy-blue Audi station wagon, linking it directly to his illegal activities.”

Ofoyeju, reaffirmed the commitment of the agency to a drug-free society, sending a clear message to offenders that the rule of law would prevail in the fight against narcotics.

He urged community members to remain vigilant and report any suspicious drug activities in their neighbourhoods as part of a collaborative effort to combat substance abuse and trafficking.

Metro

Police Arrest Suspect For Raping Woman To Death In Rivers

Published

1 day ago

November 6, 2025

Editor

The Rivers State Police Command said its operatives have arrested a suspect who allegedly raped a young woman to death in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state.

The incident reportedly occurred on Monday when the lifeless body of the woman, said to be an orphan, was found in her room.

The case came to public attention when a user on X, claiming to be a family friend of the deceased, raised the alarm and called on the police to intervene immediately.

The poster added that occupants of the compound where the woman lived reportedly fled after the shocking discovery, possibly for fear of being implicated.

The statement, which was reposted by popular blogger Lindaikeji, partly read, “Nigerians, I need your help. Please help me call the police. I’m heartbroken as I type this. My family friend was raped and strangled to death in her room at Oyigbo on Monday night.”

The user also said the remains of the woman, simply identified as Ugochi, had been deposited in the morgue.

“Ugochi and her sister are helpless orphans who have nobody to fight for them. We are heartbroken. It’s unending tears and agony. Please help our voice get amplified. Please help us get justice,” the user added.

Although the full details of the incident could not be ascertained as of Thursday evening, it was gathered that the case caused panic in the densely populated area on the outskirts of Port Harcourt.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident and the arrest of the suspect to our correspondent on Thursday, saying he is in custody.

Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, stated, “Yes, I can confirm the incident, and the suspect has been arrested. The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department.

“The body of the woman has been deposited in the morgue, and investigation is ongoing. Further details will be made known in due course.”

Rivers State has in recent years witnessed multiple cases of sexual violence and attacks on vulnerable individuals, prompting the state police command to intensify surveillance and community policing in high-risk areas.

Residents in some parts of the state have in the past expressed concerns over rising criminal activities, leading to heightened security measures by law enforcement.