Expect floods, commissioner tells residents of Lagos, Ogun border communities

The Ogun State Government has alerted residents of Akute, Isheri, Mowe, Ibafo, Riverside Estate and other border communities between Lagos and Ogun states to relocate to avoid disaster as a result of another round of flooding.

The state Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, raised the alarm at a press conference in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Wednesday.

The PUNCH reports there has been a series of flooding which had claimed lives and property.

Oresanya said the warning became imperative following the prediction of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency on the 2023 flood alert in the state.

According to Oresanya, the listed areas will witness coastal flooding due to the tidal lock of the Ogun River by Lagos Lagoon from a natural rise in sea level coupled with the possible release of excessive water from the Oyan dam.

Oresanya alerted residents of the state to brace up for flash floods as the state is expecting 3,646mm of rainfall between April and November.

He recalled that the country recorded the worst-ever flood incidents in 2022 which killed over 600 people and displaced about 2.4 million persons.

The state also warned residents of 23 other communities prone to flood to urgently take precautions to alleviate the impact of flooding. The state also warned residents of 23 other communities prone to flood to urgently take precautions to alleviate the impact of flooding. “In realization of the inter boundary impact of flooding, we wish to reassure residents of the state that we have effective collaboration with the management of Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA) and the neighbouring states of Lagos and Oyo, especially as it relates to the release of water from Oyan dam.”Punch