Residents of the Lafenwa-Abule Otun community in Abeokuta North local government area of Ogun State have been displaced from their homes following flooding caused by the release of water from the Oyan dam.

The flooding, which began on Saturday, was also exacerbated by torrential rainfall.

According to a report on The PUNCH, no fewer than five houses in the lowland were filled with water, while some houses had traces of flooding on them. Some of the houses were also deserted, with no occupants in sight.

A resident, Lateefat Akinwunmi, said that she and her family had to evacuate their home after it was flooded. She lamented that her business had been disrupted as her goods were trapped in the house.

 “We used to experience flooding occasionally, but the recent opening of the dam has caused the flooding to be much this time. Our properties have been destroyed, and we have been displaced from our homes. We can no longer sleep at home because of the flood, which has taken over our rooms, too.

 “I sell perishable goods, and my goods are trapped inside while some have got damaged. The bag of Garri (Cassava flakes) that I bought recently for selling purposes has been drenched in water. This flood has really caused us hardship,” she said.

The community leader, Kelani Bashir, said that the problem of flooding started when a bridge was constructed over the Ogun River. 

He said that dredging was carried out during the construction, which has made the community prone to flooding.

“The problem of flooding started when a bridge was constructed over the Ogun River to ease movement, but during the construction, dredging was made to pave the way for water flow, and since then, that has been the point through which our community gets flooded.

“The flooding often affects most of the houses in the lowland area in this community, and we have made several appeals to the government to help us see to this situation, but it has not yielded any positive result.”

 “If our government can help us reconstruct the drainage channel that is between the community and the river by making it taller, it will prevent water from flooding our community. Governor Abiodun should please come to our rescue,” he stated.

The Press Officer, Ogun State Ministry of Environment, Rotimi Oduniyi, noted that residents in flood-prone areas have been forced to move to uplands so as to avoid casualties, but they have been adamant. 

“There is a surge in the river currently, which is occasioned by the recent rainfall and the release of water from the dam. We have warned people living in the river area to locate to the upland so as to avoid casualties. We also set up a camp where they can relocate but most of these people do not yield to government warnings,” he said.