Scavenger dies in Madalla flood

A scavenger identified as Abubakar Muhammad lost his life on Friday while attempting to retrive some items washed off by flood in Madalla, a suburb of the FCT.  Witnesses who spoke to Aso Chronicle during the weekend disclosed that the victim, aged about 14 years, jumped into a stream located opposite the town’s market along […]

A scavenger identified as Abubakar Muhammad lost his life on Friday while attempting to retrive some items washed off by flood in Madalla, a suburb of the FCT. 

Witnesses who spoke to Aso Chronicle during the weekend disclosed that the victim, aged about 14 years, jumped into a stream located opposite the town’s market along with his colleague after sighting a food flask known as cooler, floating in the water.

It was gathered that the other boy was rescued by some volunteers few minutes after he jumped into the water while the remains of the scavenger was located around a bridge near Deidei, on the Abuja-Zuba highway. 

The flood also affected about 20 houses mostly built on the bank of the stream in an area known as Monkey Village, Madalla. A good number of household items like electrical appliances, pieces of furniture and cooking utensils were seen floating on the flooded stream. 

A resident and a victim of the flood, Izobo MacDonald, said, “As the flood was increasing,  we tried to create an additional outlet for the water, only for more to come in and destroy our property. That was when I gave up the struggle, and along with my family members, we left the house for our dear lives.”  

Meanwhile, residents of Jikwoyi, a satellite town in Abuja, expressed worry on Saturday as the road leading to the suburb was flooded, causing serious panic among motorists.

The incident, which happened at about 5:30pm, caused a gridlock at the Winners Junction traffic intersection, on Jikwoyi-Karu expressway. 

Our reporter observed that three vehicles were submerged in the flood. A blue Sienna bus with registration number BWR 231PV, while a black Honda and blue Golf cars got stuck in the flood waters.

John Ene, a witness said the flood started around 5:30pm, and it became impossible for motorists to drive through because of the high volume of water. 

Isa Abdul, a motorcyclist corroborated the account of Ene, saying he was returning from Nyanya with a passenger when he encountered the flood at Winners Junction, which delayed him for a while and he had to seek for an alternative means for his passenger to continue his journey.

He added that the flood started around 5:30pm and lasted for about 30 minutes and that he and some other motorcyclists and good Samaritans had to help with the evacuation of the vehicles that were trapped in the flood before the flood later subsided and vehicles continued on their way.

He therefore called on the government to clear the drainage systems in Jikwoyi roads, as that was not the first time such flooding was happening. 

Also speaking, the owner of the blue Sienna car who preferred  anonymity said she was coming from Karu when the rain started and she wanted to get home in time when she encountered the flood.  She said when she got stuck in it with her children, they were helpless and despairing.

She however said she was rescued alongside her children from the car by Good Samaritans and nobody was hurt, adding that the road was always flooded around this time of the year.