PHOTO: NAJEEM RAHEEM
One person was confirmed dead with two others still missing after Saturday night’s downpour in Ilorin, Kwara State capital.
Two persons whose bodies are yet to be recovered were swept away at Taiwo Isale and Oko-Erin bridges in the metropolis.
A source at the state Fire Service said: “We worked all through the night but up till Sunday, we have not found the two persons that were carried away at both Taiwo Isale and Oko-Erin bridges. The rain caused the death of one person at Ita Ogunbo area of Ilorin.”
The downpour, which destroyed scores of houses, started about 7:00p.m. and stopped in the wee hours of yesterday. Areas worst affected included Olokonla, Bobonkiri, Egba-Akota, Aberi, Akuji, Idiope, Harmony Estate, Sobi, Akerebiata, and parts of Ibrahim Taiwo Road, all in Ita-Ogunbo area, Alanamu ward of Ilorin West Local Government area. The rainstorms also destroyed electricity poles in Taiwo and Odota areas.
The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, commiserated with families whose dwellings were affected by the rainstorm. In a statement, his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, said: “The governor is saddened by the havoc wreaked on various households in Ilorin, the state capital, and indeed elsewhere across the state by the rainstorm. He sends his heartfelt commiseration and a message of hope to such families in this trying time.
“As part of his proactive measures to mitigate the effect of this natural disaster which had been predicted by NIMET, the governor had last week visited various Federal Government agencies, including NEMA, to seek special relief for Kwara. The state government is again urging the Federal Government to urgently consider Kwara State for special support.
“The governor, on his part, is immediately setting up a special disaster response team to collate data of areas affected and determine how the state government can offer support based on available resources. That response team will be announced shortly.
“The governor is also aware of the damage to electric poles during the storm. He has directed relevant agencies to quickly fix the poles as soon as possible to avoid further damage and ensure the restoration of power services.”
Meanwhile, thunderstruck on Saturday evening and reportedly killed 15 cows in Ikogosi community in Ekiti West Local Government Area of Ekiti State. The Asaoye of Ikogosi-Ekiti, Chief Ayo Ademilua, described the incident as a natural occurrence, which he said was strange in the town.
Narrating the incident to journalists via telephone on Sunday, Ademilua said the incident happened at the Ikogosi Warm Spring site along Ipole-Ekiti road.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ikogosi Warm Spring is notable tourism and recreational centre where warm and cold streams meet in Ekiti. The Ikogosi high chief said the thunderstruck during a torrential downpour between 4:00 p.m. and 6:02 p.m. on Saturday.
“The whole town shook when the thunderstruck. Later, some commuters coming into town and those returning home from their farms saw the Fulani herders lamenting that it was the thunder that killed their cattle,” he said.
Also speaking on the incident, the Onikogosi of Ikogosi Ekiti, Oba Abiodun Olorunnisola, said the herders were making spirited efforts to sell the dead cows to residents, saying that this portended health risk to his people.
The monarch said he already reached out to his colleague at Ipole Ekiti, Oba Oladele Babatola, on the need to warn their subjects against consuming such desecrated meat.
“The two of us have alerted our subjects that there was an attempt to commence the sale of the cows and we are making concerted efforts to prevent the intending buyers,” he said.
The monarch, however, called on the government to evacuate the carcasses of the cows to prevent the spread of communicable diseases in the area.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, Mr Sunday Abutu, said the incident was yet to be reported to the police because it was a natural occurrence.
“We have not been told, but if the owner of the cattle later realises that someone was responsible, he will report at the police station and we will surely rise to the occasion if such happens,” the PPRO said.
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