A devastating overnight flood triggered by hours of relentless rainfall has wreaked havoc in Adamawa State, leaving several people feared dead and hundreds displaced across Yola North and Yola South Local Government Areas.
The downpour, which began in the early hours of Sunday, July 27, overwhelmed the region’s poorly maintained drainage systems, leading to the submergence of entire communities while many residents were still asleep.
Worst-hit areas include Yola Bye Pass, Sabon Pegi, Yolde Pate, Modire, and Shagari Low Cost, where homes and properties were washed away by the rampaging waters.
Farmlands were also not spared, as hectares of crops were destroyed, raising concerns about a looming food crisis in the flood-prone region.
Residents, still grappling with the shock, told PLATFORM TIMES that the flood struck without warning, sweeping away homes and claiming lives — especially children who were caught in the chaos.
“Many lives were lost, especially children,” said Furera Adamu, a resident of Sabon Pegi. “We are still searching for missing persons. This is a tragedy beyond words.”
Eyewitness accounts and local sources indicate that many families have been displaced, with some forced to take shelter in makeshift camps serving as internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Several areas have been cut off due to impassable roads, while electricity outages have compounded the crisis.
A resident of Yola Bye Pass, who identified himself as Musa, said the water surged into their home around 2am.
“We lost everything. The flood came so fast that we could only escape with the clothes on our backs,” he lamented.
The flooding has also sparked health concerns, with fears of possible outbreaks of waterborne diseases as sanitary conditions deteriorate. Medical experts are calling for urgent intervention to prevent a public health emergency.
Despite the scale of destruction, the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA) has yet to issue an official statement.
Residents are now calling on both ADSEMA and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to deploy immediate relief materials and rescue operations.
“This flood was brutal and unexpected,” a community leader in Yolde Pate told PLATFORM TIMES. “People are stranded, hungry, and in urgent need of help. We can’t survive this without immediate government intervention.”
As families count their losses, calls for long-term flood mitigation strategies and investment in drainage infrastructure have grown louder, with many blaming years of government neglect and unplanned urban development for the recurring disaster.
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