Over 2,000 buildings destroyed in Ibadan rainstorm

PROPERTIES worth millions of naira were destroyed on Sunday night as rainstorm wreaked havoc in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

In all, about 2,000 buildings were said to be affected by the rainstorm.

Worst hit were Challenge, Felele, Podo, Soka, Sanyo, Olorunsogo and Amuloko areas, as many residents of the areas were rendered homeless, while their valuables were destroyed.
There were also unconfirmed reports of deaths in several places around the city.

A visit to Soka area by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that the rainstorm affected almost all the houses in the area, as residents were seen lamenting their losses when Nigerian Tribune got there on Monday morning.

Affected in the areas were residential buildings, churches, mosques, shops, schools and business offices.

It was gathered that a house in Idi-Oro area of Soka, which the owner had planned to move into on Monday, was reduced to debris, while another house around Oloje area had its roof totally blown off.

When the Nigerian Tribune visited a hospital in the area, it was gathered that a man was brought in around 12.30 a.m on Monday, reportedly  hit by fallen debris of a building.

Also, three people, including a pregnant woman, were said to have been injured while on their way to sympathise with a relation whose house was affected by the rainstorm, as they were hit by a vehicle.

Other areas affected were Ajegunle, Igodalo, Academy, Omiyale, Olomi, Olunde, Ayegun, Aba-Alfa, Jaloke, Papa-Eleye, Aladi, Ire-Akari, all in Oluyole Local Government Area of the state.
At least five filling stations were badly damaged at Ire-Akari area along Olomi/ Academy and one at Olorunsogo, Akanran, Ibadan.

Around Soka area on the  Ibadan/Lagos Expressway, the roof of a feedmill on  21A Anuoluwapo, street, Zone 2 was totally blown off, thereby destroying the feed product. The feedmiller, on resuming  work in the morning was in shock, Nigerian Tribune learnt.

At Orita, the Divisional Police Headquarters, was not also spared. Nigerian Tribune learnt that the works department of the police had embarked on renovation of the police headquarters station which led to the removal of the station’s roof due for replacement on Monday, but before the work could commence on Monday morning, the station’s properties had been soaked in water.

At the Felele straight Expressway area, the roof of the new auditorium of the All Nations Evangelical Church, was also affected. Early in the morning, some members of the church were seen trying to pick some of the roofing sheets blown off by the rainstorm.

In the same axis, a private school, Montessori Careline, also had its roof blown off, while a storey building housing Jimbayad and Company at the Anfani junction was also affected.

At Idi-Arere junction, billboards situated in the confinement of the Power Holding Corporation of Nigeria (PHCN) transformer were completely blown away while some houses along the street also had a taste of the wind. Furthermore, some houses behind MUTLAD filling station were also affected.

The people of Olomi area and environs had their problem compounded as the storm destroyed most of the electric poles put in place by the PHCN for the restoration of electricity in the communities which had been in darkness for over 30 months.

A house under construction was brought down to its foundation by the storm at Ayedade area of Olomi. Though the owner was not around  when the Nigerian Tribune visited, it was gathered that he was aware of the development and was making arrangement to visit the place.

As of the time of filing this report, no casualty has been recorded.

A mini drama, however, ensued at Olomi area when a 74-year-old grandma,  indentified as Mama Kazeem rushed out of her room when the rain was still heavy for fear of being killed by the deadly storm.

A source informed the Nigerian Tribune that after the rain stopped, her neighbours discovered that there was no sound coming from inside her room, forcing them to raise the alarm that the old woman was missing after they had checked the room.

“We were scared when around 12.00 midnight we couldn’t find her. We then raised a search team among ourselves to search the vicinity. We searched the neighbourhood looking for Mama Kazeem but later found her after about 40 minutes in a house far away from our house, shivering.

“To our surprise, Mama: ‘I don’t want to die a useless death.’ At that point we couldn’t laugh but we understood that mama ran for her dear life for fear of being killed in case the building collapsed.”

Nigerian Tribune checks on some other parts of the city revealed that the  United Missionary College, Ibadan was not spared as part of the school fence was brought down completely.
Another school situated at Oke-Ode, Sanyo Ibadan, Fola Model School had its roof blown off, a development which halted academic activities at the school as pupils were sent back home.

Some houses at Aba Ibeji, Arapaja in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State were also ravaged by the wind. One of the houses affected included that of an  editor of Nigerian Tribune Mrs Tayo Lewis, whose house roof and fence were partly damaged. Nigerian Tribune also spotted other residents of the area who were trying to salvage their properties as their houses were totally brought down by the downpour with no hope of having a place to sleep.

Meanwhile, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has directed the State Emergency Management Agency to provide succour to the people affected by the rainstorm.

A statement issued on Monday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Dr Festus Adedayo said that Governor Ajimobi was deeply touched by the disaster which claimed several properties.

He said that the governor had also directed the council chairmen of all the affected areas to move round to assess the extent of damage and provide immediate relief to the affected persons.
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