Several residents of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, have been displaced following a heavy rainfall that wreaked havoc in parts of the ancient city over the weekend, destroying houses and property worth millions of naira.

The downpour, accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds, affected a number of communities, including Alaaka, Igbonna, and areas along the Apete–Awotan–Akufo Road axis, leaving many residents counting their losses.

Witnesses said the rain, which lasted several hours, led to the destruction of residential buildings, fences and other structures in the affected communities. Some residents were forced to vacate their homes after the storm damaged parts of their buildings, rendering them unsafe for habitation.

A resident of one of the affected communities, who pleaded anonymity, said at least five houses were severely affected by the storm, while several other structures sustained varying degrees of damage.

According to him, the incident displaced some families who have been forced to seek temporary shelter with neighbours and relatives.

“Some houses were affected in our area as a result of the heavy rain that wreaked havoc in the community. I can count about five buildings that were seriously affected, while some other structures were also damaged,” the resident said.

He appealed to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to urgently come to the aid of the victims.

“I want to appeal to NEMA and SEMA to please come to the aid of the victims. Some people have been displaced as a result of this incident, and any form of support will go a long way in helping them recover from the damage caused by the rain,” he added.

The incident also affected some businesses in the area, with reports indicating that equipment belonging to Noble 107.1 FM was damaged during the downpour.

As a result of the incident, the radio station has temporarily gone off air.

A staff member of the station, who spoke on the development, confirmed that the heavy rainfall affected some of the station’s broadcast equipment, forcing it to suspend operations.

“I don’t know about other radio stations, but I can tell you that we have been off air since yesterday. The rain affected some of our equipment at Noble 107.1 FM, Ibadan,” the staff member said.

He added that efforts were already underway to restore transmission as engineers worked to repair the damaged equipment and put the station back on air.

Meanwhile, residents of the affected communities have called on government authorities and emergency response agencies to conduct an assessment of the damage and provide immediate assistance to those who lost their homes and property in the incident.

They also urged the government to take proactive measures to address flooding and drainage challenges in the affected areas to prevent a recurrence during the ongoing rainy season. (The Guardian)

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