The Borno State Government has established a dedicated relief fund to provide immediate assistance to those affected by the recent flooding in Maiduguri and surrounding areas.
Abdurrahman Ahmed Bundi, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media, announced this in a statement on Friday. He explained that the government aims to gather support from citizens, organizations, and international partners to help ease the suffering of flood victims and aid their recovery.
“The recent floods have caused widespread destruction, displaced families, and severely damaged essential infrastructure,” Bundi noted. In response, the government is urging individuals and groups to contribute to the newly created flood relief account.
The flooding, described as the worst humanitarian disaster in Maiduguri in decades, has left many victims recounting their harrowing experiences. Several areas in Borno experienced flooding that forced water into homes, causing significant damage. By Monday, floodwaters had inundated regions along waterways, submerging houses, markets, shops, and public infrastructure.
Hundreds of residents narrowly escaped the disaster, many with little or no belongings. Some slept on the streets, while others sought refuge with relatives in safer parts of the state. The government directed those affected to seek shelter in camps and schools until the floodwaters receded.
Among the survivors is Babakura Mustapha, a resident of the state, who shared his experience. “We were at home when we got a call that the flood had submerged Gudum. I have relatives there,” he said. “On my way to check on them, I was called back because my own area had also been flooded.”
Search and rescue operations began on Wednesday, with floodwaters starting to recede by Thursday. However, some areas continued to battle flooding, and the economic impact has been significant.
More than 500 shops were affected, according to Ekene Emmanuel, President of the Automobile Parts Dealers Association in Maiduguri. “Some shops had two or three people inside. So if you calculate over 500 shops, the number of affected people will exceed 1,000,” he said.
Uchenna Okoye, an automobile spare parts dealer, recalled receiving an alert about the flooding at 2 a.m. “We were told that floodwaters were beginning to take over our area,” he said.
One resident shared how the disaster almost claimed his son’s life. “This flood is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. I went through the 1994 flood, but this is different. My son went out during the flood and couldn’t make it back. A neighbor helped bring him home, but I had lost hope of seeing him again,” he recounted.