Flood: Residents of Maiduguri lament expensive canoe rides

The exorbitant price of canoe rides has alarmed Maiduguri, Borno State, residents, who complain that the operators are increasingly taking advantage of them.

Remember how canoe owners helped evacuate residents from Maiduguri last week when floodwaters surged through the city?

However, locals claim that the canoe owners are now taking advantage of them by charging exorbitant costs for moving their possessions.

Residents of Maiduguri are depending on canoes because many areas of the city are impassable for vehicles.

Falmata Muhammad, a 48-year-old mother of three, said she was taken aback when a canoe owner charged her N80,000 for a brief trip—more than the minimum pay per month—when she chose to transport some furniture this week.

After losing almost everything to floods, she was upset that “Some are making it a big business, using the disaster to make a huge amount of money.”

Fisherman and canoe owner, Mohammed Yusuf said he still moved residents for free but that some residents offered money to use his canoe.

Meanwhile, Governor Babagana Zulum has held an emergency meeting with United Nations Humanitarian Workers and other development partners on how to work collectively in addressing the impact of the devastating flood that has ravaged about 70 percent of Maiduguri, the state capital.

This came as he warned against indiscriminate opening of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camps, especially in the already closed public schools without the permission of the state government..

Zulum while welcoming the leader of the UN delegation, UN OCHA Deputy National Humanitarian Coordinator, Esty Sutyoke, said: “Now that we have succeeded in the rescue mission, and as the water recedes, we must collaborate together to avoid duplication of efforts in the affected communities.”

Among others, the governor said: “We need UN assistance in rebuilding the destroyed houses, hospitals, schools and critical infrastructures. We want to use this opportunity to thank UN, all stakeholders and individuals that have been assisted us in one way or the other in this trying moment.”

Flood sacks Kwara community
Meanwhile, residents of Bode Saadu community in the Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State have been sacked by flood.

The affected residents are now counting their losses, while others have been displaced after Wednesday evening flooding caused by intermittent downpour.

Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq who visited the affected community, yesterday promised to support the affected victims of the flood tragedy.

Bode Saadu community is located on the Ilorin-Jebba federal highway and located a few kilometers to Jebba dam.

Vanguard gathered that the downpours overflew the Arinun Bridge located in the area and submerged many houses in the area.

It was also gathered that houses on the river bank were flooded forcing some residents to seek accommodation elsewhere.

Residents of the area, who spoke with journalists, said that flooding was a constant occurrence in Jebba community, adding This time around, it is the turn of Bode Saadu.”