Torrential floods ravage northern Nigeria leaving over a million homeless
by Ekta ChaubeyIn a devastating incident in northern Nigeria’s Borno state, over a million residents were displaced due to widespread flooding.The disaster occurred in Maiduguri city following heavy rainfall.
Visuals showed floodwaters up to knee length, with residents navigating the streets with extreme difficulty. The region’s infrastructure remained submerged, and vehicles struggled to move through the rushing water. Streets had transformed into streams with water gushing at an intense speed, further complicating mobility.
According to reports, the calamity was triggered when a major dam overflowed, submerging residential areas. People have been forced to sleep on any high ground they can find, including rooftops and overpasses. The local government has been setting up IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps where food, water, and medicine are being distributed. The camps, ranging from a few thousand to 15,000 people, are located at schools, mosques, and even commercial spaces.
President Bola Tinubu visited the affected region to assess the damage and receive reports from Borno officials. Meanwhile, heavy rainfall continued in the state on Sunday and Monday, worsening the situation in areas where the floodwaters had briefly receded.
Furthermore, more than 270 inmates fled after severe flooding damaged the walls of a medium-security prison. The Nigerian Correctional Service stated that during an evacuation to a secure facility, some prisoners, including members of the militant group Boko Haram, escaped. Seven of the escapees have since been recaptured, but the majority remain at large.