Hours of heavy rain between 08 and 09 July caused severe flooding in Suleja in Niger state, Nigeria, which lies about 30 km north west of capital city Abuja.
Local media are reporting several fatalities, including eight members of the same household. Local officials have not yet confirmed the number of casualties. Reports suggest dozens of houses have been damaged or destroyed.
Flooding also affected parts of nearby Tafa, also in Niger state between 08 and 09 July.
Social Media
VIDEO: An eyewitness Jubril Mohammed narrates how a man lost 8 members of his family to the flood in Suleja near FCT, Abuja. pic.twitter.com/fUFySY2xsi
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) July 9, 2017
Please pray for the victims of Suleja flood in Niger State, ravaged by flood, which has caused loss of lives, property and untold hardship. pic.twitter.com/HK9fcZwMbi
— SouthernKaduna (@InsideKaduna_) July 10, 2017
Family of eight feared dead as flood ravages Suleja https://t.co/m9CMaFv9IM via @todayng pic.twitter.com/7YtH3Og5H1
— Nigeria Newsdesk (@NigeriaNewsdesk) July 9, 2017
VIDEO: Residents of Suleja near FCT, Abuja trying to rescue persons caught in the flood as govt emergency services are now where to be found pic.twitter.com/Ky2uIU6KXB
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) July 9, 2017
Flood Update: 10 Missing, 2 Bodies Recovered In Suleja https://t.co/bAidntzA6E pic.twitter.com/P7Frt47jOB
— NTA News (@NTANewsNow) July 10, 2017
Lagos and Oyo
Elsewhere in Nigeria, flooding was reported in Ibadan, Oyo state after a heavy downpour lasting 5 hours between 09 and 10 July. There are no reports of fatalities or displacements.
Heavy rain from 06 July caused flooding in parts of Lagos state and metropolitan area, in particular Victoria Island, Lekki and Oniru. The flooding damaged several buildings and caused chaos on the roads. There were no reports of death or injury however.
In a statement on Friday, the Lagos State government called on residents to observe extreme caution on the roads as torrential rain persists across the state.
Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejar, said that the flooding would recede after a period of time but the Government has activated its emergency response system to respond efficiently where necessary. He added, “the Government is concerned by the recent occurrence of flooding in some parts of Victoria Island, Lekki, Oniru and its environs and our emergency lines 112 and 767 are open 24/7 for residents to report any emergency situation.”
Poor Drainage Systems
The Commissioner urged residents of the flood and health dangers of dumping refuse in drainage channels. According to Lagos State Government, many residents continue to dump refuse in drainage channels despite an education campaign on the hazards of doing so.
Social Media
Images from Lekki-1 in Lagos today. We could take the environment a lot more seriously pic.twitter.com/OPVcJTW0As
— RightsAfrica (@chairmanNHRC) July 8, 2017
Swimming in streets, kayaking and crocodiles. A life in the day of a #lagosflood https://t.co/9xu6uhHizM pic.twitter.com/9QapHMTCQw
— CNN Africa (@CNNAfrica) July 9, 2017
https://twitter.com/oluwashina/status/883647327906533376
FLOOD IN LAGOS: Pictures here from homes and estates of Lekki residents on Saturday sent in by a friend who wishes to remain anonymous! pic.twitter.com/yAQ3HWkRpi
— Sumner Shagari Sambo (@Sumner_Sambo) July 8, 2017
Rainfall
Detailed rainfall figures for Nigeria are scarce. Below are figures from WMO for a 24 hour period:
09 to 10 July
- Abuja – 29.0 mm
06 to 7 July
- Lagos / Ikeja – 57.0 mm
- Ibadan – 97.0 mm
Flood Summary
Locations
B - Victoria Island
C - Lekki
D - Oniru
E - Suleja
F - Tafa
Magnitude
Abuja - July 9 to July 10, 2017
Lagos / Ikeja - July 6 to July 7, 2017
Ibadan - July 6 to July 7, 2017
Damages
Suleja - July 8 to July 11, 2017
