News: 7 Dead, 30 Houses Submerged In Ibadan, Benin After 25-Hour Rain

A 25-hour heavy rain across three states left seven people
dead in Ibadan, Oyo State capital and 30 houses submerged in
Benin, Edo State, while paralysing business activities in the
states.

The rain, which started in the evening of Sunday and
continued for most part of Monday, resulted in traffic snarls in
all the affected cities and towns, leaving many commuters
stranded.

In Ibadan, although the Oyo State police command confirmed
only two people dead in Orita Challenge area of the city,
residents of some communities in Oluyole Local Government
Area of the state claimed five other people were swept away
while attempting to cross a bridge, which they did not know
had collapsed.
One of the victims, said to be an unidentified elderly man,
was said to have disembarked from a commercial motorcycle
and had attempted to cross the flooded bridge at LAD
Hospital area at about 8.00 a.m on Monday.
He reportedly died when he slipped and hit his head on the
slab of the bridge.

The second incident, which occurred at about 11.30 a.m,
involved a commercial motorcyclist who also attempted to
cross the flooded bridge, as the water swept him and his
female passenger off.
Though the passenger was rescued, the okada rider was not
fortunate, as he and his motorcycle were swept away.
His body was, however, found around 2.30 p.m about 200
metres away from the spot where he was swept off by the
flood.

In Benin, the Edo State capital, the rain, that started at about
7.00 a.m, left no fewer than 15 houses submerged at Azinge
Crescent, Ihama Road, GRA, while, at least, three houses
were nearly submerged at Slaughter Street in Aduwawa.
At Aiguobasinmwin, the Customary Court of Appeal and the
secretariat of the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC)
were affected, while some houses and vehicles were
submerged in the area.
It was the same story at Oza Street, off Sokponba Road in the
Edo State capital, as many vehicles were trapped and
damaged inside the flood at Ihama, Adesuwa and adjoining
streets of Sapele Road
Businesses were paralysed in notable commercial areas such
as Ring Road, Forestry, Third Junction and New Benin, as
retail outlets and stores were locked as a result of the high
intensity of the rain.

In Osogbo, the Osun State capital, the rain, which spanned
over 20 hours, disrupted socio-economic activities in the state
capital, causing gridlock in some areas.
Though there was no recorded casualty, the rain prevented
pupils of private schools, who had already resumed for the
new academic session, from going to school.