By Okeke Eunice
Due to concerns about flooding following the release of water from the Oyan River Dam by the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Authority, some residents in Isheri, located along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State, have begun evacuating their homes, according to Honourable Fm.
Honourable Fm gathered that residents noticed a gradual rise in the current of the Ogun River on Saturday.
The water is said to have overflowed, spreading to areas several meters from the riverbank.
As noted by our correspondent on Monday, the vicinity around Long Bridge was already experiencing flooding, and some residents voiced their fears about what they see as a potential new flood crisis in their communities.
As of Wednesday, the water level continued to rise, forcing residents in the flood-prone area to evacuate.
Our correspondent observed that some residents of Lekki Gardens, Queens Garden, and Airport Estate have begun to leave.
A Queens Garden resident, who only identified himself as Mr. Ayinde, mentioned that people started moving out of the estate within the last 24 hours.
He stated, “There is water everywhere now. While some are still considering when to leave, others have already begun to evacuate. The exodus started in the last 24 hours once we realized our estate was flooded. I will also be leaving shortly.”
Another resident, Tomiwa Olowu, mentioned that he had relocated his family to a hotel outside the community.
“I moved my family to a hotel near Berger. I’ve also taken some of my belongings because they were damaged in last year’s flood.”
In a video shared with our correspondent by one of the residents, a fallen electric pole could be seen submerged in the floodwaters. A resident in the video attributed this to the flooding and described it as one of the severe consequences of the looming flood crisis.
Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, raised concerns that the situation was worsening and called for government intervention.
“We hope to avoid a repeat of last year’s disaster, but the reality is setting in. What we are experiencing now feels alarmingly similar. The government needs to take urgent action.”
Abayomi Akinde, Chairman of Riverview Estate, also confirmed that an evacuation is currently taking place.
“The estates within Riverview are already flooded, with water beginning to seep into residents’ homes. It’s not that they are proactively fleeing; no one will wait for tragedy to strike. As soon as the water starts entering their yards and reaches a level where they can no longer drive their vehicles out, they have to start evacuating quickly.
“The government needs to take additional measures to address the situation, especially since lives have been affected. It’s particularly distressing for those of us who were placed here by the government after purchasing the land from them.”