The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department has appealed to residents living close to waterways and drainage channels in Abuja to consider relocating as the rainy season intensifies.
The appeal followed a flooding incident that occurred in the early hours of Friday at a one-storey building located on Anthony Ikem Street behind Blue Cabana Hotel in the Mabushi District of the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the agency, the overnight rainfall led to severe flooding on the ground floor of the building, submerging both flats up to window level.
The emergency department said it received a distress call around 3:00 a.m. and immediately deployed its Search and Rescue Team to the affected area.
Rescue officials reportedly faced difficulties during the operation after the generator powering the pumping machine failed, forcing responders to manually evacuate water from the building.
Although no life was lost in the incident, the flood destroyed household properties, food items and important documents belonging to residents.
Reacting to the incident, the Acting Director-General of FEMD, Abdulrahman Mohammed, urged residents occupying areas close to water channels to relocate to safer locations to avoid possible disasters during the peak of the rainy season.
He also called on residents to clear blocked drainage systems and remove structures erected along waterways to reduce the risk of flooding across the territory.
In recent years, several parts of Abuja have experienced recurring flash floods during heavy rainfall, largely linked to blocked drains, rapid urban development and construction activities along natural water channels.
The development has continued to raise concerns among residents and emergency authorities over the vulnerability of low-lying communities during the rainy season.
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