Lekki Flooding: Posh Suburbs Of Lagos, Submerged In Water [PHOTOS]

When the name Lekki comes up, affluence, class, a pristine neighborhood springs to mind. That in itself isn’t entirely wrong, but when the rains come, Life in one of the nation’s choice locations becomes a nightmare. The reoccurring Lekki flooding has taken a different dimension this year with thousands loosing properties worth millions.

Eye witness reports say that the rains that came pouring down on Friday night and Saturday morning have also claimed lives.  Lekki Phase I, all the way down to Lekki Free Trade Zone, and Ajah were severely affected by the flood.

Other areas affected were Lekki Phase II, Osapa London, Victoria Garden City, Ikoyi,  Banana Island, Badore, Bugije, Igbo Efon and Awoyaya.

Commuters were also stranded at bus stops across the state following the downpour that lasted for several hours, with gridlock witnessed in several areas. Some of the commuters paid the sum of N1,000 to touts who were willing to carry them on their backs across the flood.

The Lagos State Government on Sunday urged residents to remain calm and vigilant in the wake of the torrential rain.

The State’s Commissioner for the Environment, Babatunde Adejare, who spoke after inspecting areas affected by the flood in the State, allayed fears of residents, assuring that the government has activated its emergency response system to respond efficiently where necessary.

He said most of the flooding would recede after a period of time, attributing the cause to the high tide of the lagoon, slowing down the flow of rainfall water from drainage channels.

He said:

We are on top of the situation. The government is concerned by the recent occurrence of flooding in some parts of Victoria Island, Lekki, Oniru and its environs and our emergency lines 112 and 767 are open 24/7 for residents to report any emergency situation

The commissioner urged residents in the habit of dumping refuse indiscriminately especially in drainage channels to stop forthwith, saying that engaging in such does not only portend health hazards, but could also lead to loss of lives and property.

The commissioner also assured residents that the ongoing reforms in the environment sector through the Cleaner Lagos Initiative would evolve a viable solid waste management system which would make the state cleaner and healthy for residents.