Houses, roads submerged as dam collapses in Maiduguri

Many residents have fled their homes following a devastating flood in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.

The Alau Dam, which has been at full capacity for the past week, collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday.

The areas most affected include Fori, Galtimari, Gwange, and Bulabulin.

Several videos on social media show flood sweeping through streets, forcing many residents to desert their homes for higher plains.

Wild animals, including snakes, crocodiles and ostriches, were flooded out of their enclosures at the state zoo and into the streets.

In a statement on Tuesday, Usman Tar, the state commissioner for information and internal security, issued a flooding alert, urging the immediate evacuation of those living along the river banks.

Tar also urged residents of the affected areas to follow evacuation routes to ensure safe passage.

“Due to the unusually high volume of water this year, we urge all the residents living along the river bank to take immediate action to protect themselves and their properties,” he said.

“The Alau Dam water has broken down another channel that is currently destroying farms and the water is heading toward the river bank.”

Zubaida Umar, director general of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said: “In response to the unfortunate flooding situation in the Maiduguri metropolis of Borno State, which started last weekend and increased in the early hours of Monday, 9th September 2024, resulting from excess waters from the Alau Dam, we have begun the evacuation of residents of the affected communities and working on provision of food, shelter, and medical assistance.

“One of the spillways of Alau Dam collapsed, leading to a significant increase in water flow downstream and exacerbating the flooding in surrounding areas.”

The last time the dam collapsed was in 1994, leading to unprecedented flooding in Maiduguri, with nearly half of the town submerged.