Tinubu sympathises with Zulum as floods devour Borno.
Floodwaters have buried key roads, houses, and shops in Maiduguri, Borno State’s capital, as well as parts of the Jere Local Government Area.
The flood inundated some public infrastructure, including Shehu’s Palace, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, and Sanda Kyarimi Park Zoo.
Floods smashed through a prison wall near the Customs area, drowning some inmates and forcing others to flee for their life.
Flooding impedes vehicular traffic on main routes in the state capital, including the Post-Office Roundabout, which connects critical locations.
The flood has impacted several towns, including Abbaganaram, Custom Road, Tashan Bama, Monday Market, Gamboru Market Custom Area, Cattle Market in Old Maiduguri, Gwange, and Lagos Street.
The famed Sanda Kyarimi Zoo Park in Maiduguri was also flooded. According to Ali Abatcha, the zoo’s general manager, the water killed 80% of the animals in the zoo, with the remaining animals escaping to the municipal capital.
The vast majority of the thousands of relocated citizens, who lived near waterways and flood-prone areas, are women and children.
The flood also affects a number of store owners and small businesses.
Thousands of women and children are migrating with their things to safer regions in Maiduguri.
Many of them can be spotted seeking safety under trees along main roadways.
Multiple sources blame the flood to a leak in the bank of Alo Dam, a significant water supply to Maiduguri that receives water from the River Ngadda in Cameroon and Lake Chad, as well as this year’s heavy rains.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to assist flood victims in portions of Maiduguri.
Tinubu voiced his serious concern over the flooding in a statement released on Tuesday by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga.
Tinubu expressed his profound condolences to the state’s administration and people, particularly to the families who have lost loved ones and means of livelihood as a result of the calamity caused by the Alo Dam overflow.
The president urged people to leave impacted areas immediately.
He told Governor Babagana Zulum that the federal government is ready to work together to meet the afflicted people’s immediate humanitarian needs.
The President further stated that he remains dedicated to mobilising government resources to assist the state during this difficult period.