Flooding triggered by heavy rainfall over the weekend has wreaked havoc across several communities in Ondo State, destroying properties, submerging bridges, and displacing residents.
The flood, which followed downpours from Friday through Sunday, affected parts of Owo, Okitipupa, Ilaje, and Ese Odo Local Government Areas, with communities such as Uso, Ayeka, Ikoya, Igbodigo, Igodan, and Igbotako among the hardest hit.
In Okitipupa, a resident, Mr. Joshua Jemiloni, said about 10 buildings were damaged as the flood, worsened by overflowing streams and blocked canals, forced families to flee for safety. “We lost electronics, furniture, clothing, and other valuables,” he said, calling on the government to urgently dredge the blocked canals.
Lawrence Awanebi, a community leader in Igbodigo, echoed the appeal, stressing that many families had been rendered homeless. “We need urgent government assistance,” he said.
Mrs. Stella Ojo, a market trader, also lamented the scale of destruction and urged the authorities to address the root causes of recurrent flooding in the region.
Chairman of Owo Local Government, Tope Omolayo, called on the state and federal governments, as well as emergency agencies, to provide swift intervention. “The damage is beyond what the local government can manage alone,” he stated.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had earlier pledged that his administration would continue dredging waterways and enforcing environmental sanitation to mitigate flooding and natural disasters in the state.
