Iliyasu Abdullahi Bah
A prolonged three-hour downpour on Wednesday wreaked havoc across Maiduguri, Borno State’s capital, submerging entire neighborhoods, destroying properties worth millions, and leaving countless families homeless as floodwaters surged through residential areas and major roadways.
The catastrophic flooding paralyzed vehicular movement across the city, with worst-hit areas including Moro-Moro, Damboa Road, Customs Junction, Bulumkutu, Dubai near Maimalari Barracks, and Pompomari By-pass—all transformed into raging waterways that forced residents to wade through knee-deep floods while struggling to salvage their belongings from the rising waters.
In the Moro-Moro district, resident Ibrahim Goni described the shocking speed of the disaster: “Our drainage systems failed completely; the water had nowhere to go but into our homes. Within minutes, our living rooms became rivers.” Nearby, desperate families used makeshift bridges of planks and discarded tires to navigate the flooded streets.
A trader, Aisha Hassan, watched helplessly as her entire shop inventory was destroyed. “The water came too fast—our food supplies, clothing, everything is gone,” she lamented, echoing the cries of dozens of women sorting through waterlogged possessions.
The Pompomari By-pass, a vital transportation artery linking multiple communities, became completely impassable as commercial vehicles and tricycles abandoned the route, their operators joining pedestrians in dangerous attempts to ford the turbulent waters.
Some residents constructed emergency barricades in frantic efforts to redirect the floodwaters away from their compounds, but most interventions proved futile against the relentless deluge.
NEMA’s Northeast Zonal Coordinator, Sirajo Aliyu, confirmed immediate activation of disaster response protocols, with joint assessment teams from NEMA, BOSEMA, the military, police, and NSCDC deploying to evaluate damage across all affected zones. “We’ve identified multiple flashpoints and are currently conducting critical assessments at Alau Dam to monitor water levels that could exacerbate the flooding,” Aliyu stated, revealing that Borno’s Flood Prevention Committee had been fully activated.
While preliminary evaluations continue, the scale of damage suggests long-term rehabilitation will be required, with hundreds of displaced families now facing an uncertain future as meteorologists warn of more rains in the coming days.
This disaster highlights the urgent need for upgraded drainage infrastructure and comprehensive urban flood mitigation strategies in Maiduguri’s rapidly expanding neighborhoods.