Senator, Several Travellers Trapped As Flood Takes Over Abuja-Lokoja Highway

• The ever-busy Abuja-Lokoja highway witnessed heavy flooding which took over both lanes of the road
• Some vehicles were stuck in the flood, others were swept away while some commercial drivers made a u-turn
• The DG of FCT Emergency Management Agency, Abass Idris, blamed blocked drainages for the unfortunate development

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Abuja - Parts of the Abuja-Lokoja-Okene highway were Saturday, August 7, submerged by flood after a four-hour rainfall. One of the areas affected was between Kwali and Abaji.

The flood left travellers stranded as vehicles from Abuja could not proceed to Lokoja, Okene and the southern parts. About three buses were also reportedly swept off by the flood.

Among the hundreds of travellers who were left stranded was the Senator from Kogi West District, Senator Smart Adeyemi, The Nation reports.

Adeyemi said:

“The flood was devastating. I witnessed how some vehicles were swept away from the highway.

”I and many travellers can no longer continue with our journey. We have become stranded. There is no other way than to turn back to Abuja.”

Another passenger, Hadiza Abdulkareem called on the relevant agencies to warn and enlighten travellers in this rainy season.

Blocked drainage to blame for flooding

Reacting to the incident, the director-general of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Abass Idris, said it was caused by blocked drainage.

Idris appealed to residents to desist from disposing of waste into water channels and rivers, as well as building on waterways and riverbanks.

Trapped vehicles and travellers at Anini village

According to a Daily Trust report, vehicles and travellers were also trapped at Anini village along the Abuja-Lokoja expressway.

Floodwaters that took over both lanes of the road were reported to have come over a hill and flashed through a newly established Dominican College located along the highway.

Some drivers had no choice but to turn back while some travellers especially male adults decided to wade through the floodwaters with their trousers rolled up.

27 states that face a high risk of flooding

The Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) 2021 was unveiled by the minister of water resources, Engineer Suleiman H Adamu, on Thursday, May 6.

At the unveiling of the report, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), the agency mandated to sensitise Nigerians on preventive measures to reduce the impact of floods every year, listed the states at a high risk of being flooded in 2021.

Communities in 121 local government areas across 27 states and the Federal Capital Territory were said to be at a high risk of being flooded.

Among the states listed were Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra and Bauchi.

Source: Legit.ng