Residents along the banks of River Yedzaram in Maiduguri are apprehensive as the river has overflown its banks. Also disturbing to the residents is the report that the Alau dam, now filled to capacity, will be opened to discharge the excess water into the river at any moment. 

Some buildings and farmlands along the river have already been submerged in the Gwange ward of Maiduguri. A stream, Ngaddabul, that also passes through the town has submerged some buildings and farmlands in the Maduganari ward.

“We are in distress and afraid that more rainfall or release of excess water from the dam can spell more doom for us. 

“Already, some places like the customs area, College of Agriculture and 505 estates are experiencing serious flooding from the rivers,” Mustapha Ali, a resident of Gwange, said.

Abubakar Ibrahim of Bulabulin ward said some residents of the ward had started moving out of the area. 

“The flooding from the river is expanding in the Bulabulin area, and people have started moving out,” Mr Ibrahim said.

Meanwhile, the secretary to the Borno government, Bukar Tijjani, on Thursday led a team to Alau dam to assess the situation of the dam for necessary action. 

He assured residents of Maiduguri that the state government was working with the Chad Basin Development Authority, which handles the dam’s safety measures.

The recent downpour recorded across the state led to severe flooding in Biu, Chibok, Konduga, Bama, Dikwa and Jere LGAs. 

(NAN)