Residents whose homes were submerged by devastating floods in Uyo are counting heavy losses, with some saying they escaped with nothing but the clothes they were wearing, as the Akwa Ibom state government launched an emergency response to Thursday’s disaster.
Videos reviewed by Pluboard captured the desperation of families stranded inside flooded homes after torrential rainfall overwhelmed drainage channels and sent muddy water surging through residential neighbourhoods. They showed homes submerged and streets flooded.
“This is how I slept last night. This cloth I am wearing is the only thing I have left,” one woman said, standing outside her flooded home. “My clothes, my shoes and every other belonging are gone. As I am speaking, I have not even seen my child.”
Another resident, visibly frustrated by years of recurring flooding, questioned the value of repeated official visits.
“There is no need for this interview,” he said. “People have been coming here to ask us questions, yet nothing has changed. Our government does not care.”
Perhaps the most harrowing account came from a resident on Okon Antia Street, who said floodwaters rose so quickly that he woke up struggling to stay alive.
“The water reached my chest, almost to my neck,” he said. “I had to force myself out so I would not die inside the room. I couldn’t pick up anything.”
He said he placed his two young children inside a bag with holes cut into it for ventilation and suspended it above the rising water to keep them from being swept away.
“I have not seen my two phones again. The water carried them away together with everything I own.”
Homes submerged
Pluboard reported on Thursday that hours of heavy rainfall submerged homes across the Akwa Ibom capital, leaving furniture, electronics, mattresses and household belongings floating in muddy water.
Flooding was reported in Four Lanes, Aka Itiam along Aka Road, Abak Road, Ikpa Road, Shelter Afrique, Nkemba Street, Itu Road, Osongama Estate and parts of Abak Local Government Area.
Roads became impassable as vehicles struggled through knee-deep water, while residents watched helplessly from balconies as floodwaters swallowed compound walls, gates and courtyards.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had warned days earlier that persistent rainfall could trigger flash flooding across several coastal states, including Akwa Ibom.
Government orders emergency action
Responding to the disaster, Governor Umo Eno directed construction companies working in the state to immediately deploy equipment to flood-affected communities in Uyo and Abak to evacuate stormwater and restore drainage.
He also instructed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Ministry of Environment and the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency to inspect affected communities, assess the extent of the damage and implement emergency relief measures.
According to a statement signed by Commissioner for Information Aniekan Umanah, the government expressed sympathy to affected residents and said intervention had already begun in some of the worst-hit locations.
The government also said it was considering longer-term flood mitigation measures while urging residents to keep drainage channels free of refuse.
It warned that all structures obstructing natural waterways and drainage channels would be removed, regardless of ownership.
“In order to ensure the free flow of storm water and protect lives and property, government will remove all structures and properties obstructing waterways and drainage lines, regardless of ownership or the persons involved,” the statement said.
The latest flooding has again highlighted long-standing concerns over Uyo’s drainage infrastructure as increasingly intense rainfall continues to overwhelm low-lying parts of the city during the rainy season.
Authorities have not yet released official estimates of the number of displaced residents or the value of properties damaged.
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