Heavy rainfall across Osun State, Nigeria, has triggered severe flooding in multiple communities, causing widespread destruction and disrupting movement. The downpour, recorded between Friday and Monday, flooded several areas, including Osogbo and Ilesa. Among the worst-affected areas were Ayekale, Famson Area, Oke Baale, Sasa, and Ilesa Garage in Osogbo. The flooding has left residents worried about further damage.
A major bridge linking Ijaregbe to Ilesa was damaged in the early hours of Monday, effectively cutting off the community from the city centre. The overflow of the Ora River also flooded Muroko Road in Ilesa, while communities such as Ijana, Ibala, Ayegunle, Idooko, and Eesun Ijesa were affected. The flooding has disrupted the movement of residents, goods, and services across the affected communities.
The Olomu of Ijaregbe, Oba Edward Adetimo, confirmed the damage to the bridge in a telephone interview. He stated that the bridge collapsed following a heavy downpour around midnight and that the House of Assembly member representing Obokun State Constituency, Adewumi Adeyemi, and others visited the area to assess the situation. Adetimo said officials from the Ministry of Works were expected to provide a temporary solution pending the full reconstruction of the bridge.
Residents of affected communities are counting their losses after the flooding. In Ayekale, Osogbo, residents reported that the flooding destroyed valuables and inundated several houses. Shekinat Olaegbe, a widow, lost valuables in the flooding and expressed concern about the possibility of another flood. Olaegbe stated that the water channel in her area was blocked, and just a few hours of rain caused the water to overflow its banks.
The Osun State Commissioner for Environment, Mayowa Adejoorin, explained that the state government had taken measures to reduce the impact of flooding. Adejoorin described flooding as a seasonal occurrence associated with heavy and prolonged rainfall but maintained that the situation had not reached an uncontrollable level in the state. He stated that the Ministry of Environment and Sanitation had been implementing preventive measures ahead of the rainy season.
Adejoorin said the Ministry of Environment and Sanitation had been dredging waterways and sensitising residents against indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainage channels. He added that the damage to the bridge and box culvert linking Ilesa with Ijaregbe, Ijana, Ibala, Ayegunle, Idooko, and Eesun Ijesa falls under the responsibility of the Ministry of Works. The ministry has already commenced action following the incident.
Affected residents and community leaders are calling for urgent intervention to restore access to Ijaregbe and other communities and prevent further flooding as rainfall continues across the state. The flooding has caused significant disruptions, and residents are appealing to the state government to urgently come to their aid. Children from the community who attend schools in Ilesa were unable to go to school on Monday due to the damage.
Key points
- The flooding in Osun State has caused widespread destruction and disrupted movement in several communities.
- A major bridge linking Ijaregbe to Ilesa was damaged, cutting off the community from the city centre.
- The state government has taken measures to reduce the impact of flooding, including dredging waterways and sensitising residents against indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainage channels.
