Trademore Estate in Lugbe area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has become famous after a flash flood hit the estate leaving at least one person dead. Since then residents of the estate are not only lamenting over their losses to the flood; they now face a potential loss of shelter due to a planned demolition of buildings in the estate. LAWRENCE BAJAH reports:
These are not the best of times for residents of Trademore Estate, Lugbe, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, as they are currently counting their losses from the flood that resulted into a fatality, 116 houses affected and property worth billions damaged. They are also facing the threat of losing their homes for good as the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) has announced a planned demolition of buildings in the estate.
Residents of the estate say that floods have become a perennial problem to the area, defying all solutions.
Recall that Nigerian Tribune reported how a downpour which started in the early hours of Friday, June 23, left Trademore Estate completely flooded, with properties worth billions of naira damaged in the process.
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) disclosed to newsmen that a Peugeot 406 driver with a registration no. YLA 681 FS was drowned in the flood at Imo Street of the Estate while four other persons were rescued and in stable condition.
Trademore Estate has, over the years, suffered from series of devastating effect of flooding with lives and properties worth billions of naira lost.
Occupants of the estate, however, heaved a sigh of relief during the 2022 rainy season as they were not seriously affected by the flood, despite the heavy amount of rainfall recorded in the year, thanks to a re-engineering remediation strategy employed by the estate owner which ensured expansion of gutters and demolition of building erected along flood plains. However, the floods again defied all the solutions this year.
When Nigerian Tribune visited Trademore Estate to keep tabs on how the residents were recovering from the tragic incident, a resident, Mrs Roseline, said: “We first experienced the flood in 2014. That singular year, it happened three times. We had it in 2021, which claimed four lives. That year, the Minister of State, FCT came here. After making promises, we got only a 3 kg camp gas cooker and one carton of noodles; but it was only for those deemed critically hit. We later got wind that the relief materials were diverted. Last year, the floods came but in a mild way. Then the one on that Friday morning left us devastated.”
Another resident who spoke to Nigerian Tribune under condition of anonymity said that the leadership of the estate met last year with officials of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), and Department of Development Control, and it was discovered that a broken dam owned by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), empties its water into the estate during rainy season. The resident expressed doubt if the dam is fixed.
“We saw a convoy entering into the estate and later got to know that it was the Permanent Secretary of FCTA and other officials that came to inspect the damage. But it was raining, so he did not have enough time to interface with us. They say he is a good man, he should come to our aid.”
A resident who simply gave her name as Gloria said: “This flooding is a spiritual thing. It comes annually but it does not kill members of the estate, but outsiders. Ninety-nine houses in this estate were marked for demolition, but only 30 were demolished, the rest went and sorted out with government officials.”
A member of the local vigilante, Friday Samuel, told Nigerian Tribune that a scavenger discovered the corpse of the missing person in a gutter in front of the estate gate and the police thereafter took the corpse away.
He went on to narrate how they rescued another man that water took away in his car. He said they were able to rescue a heavily pregnant woman who was sleeping when her house was wholly submerged in water.
Another member of the local vigilante, Suileman Nuhu, told Nigerian Tribune that: “This flooding will not stop because this place is more of a valley. The whole water coming from Voice of Nigeria Estate, Lokogoma and Pyankas empties here. This water must be channelled to another place.”
Mrs Ashedu, a business woman that deals in inverter products said she lost over N4 million due to the flood, she sent a save-our-soul message to government to come to their aid.
‘A disaster zone, to be demolished’
Days after the deadly flooding, the FCTA declared Trademore Estate area a disaster zone. Making the declaration was the Permanent Secretary, FCTA, Olusade Adesola, who said the flooding incident at Trademore Estate was among the issues reviewed at the FCT monthly security committee meeting. The meeting considered the efforts that need to be put in place to mitigate property damage and casualty from flooding in FCT.
Adesola, who led senior FCTA officials and heads of security and paramilitary agencies domiciled in the FCT, on an assessment tour of the affected area, said they were amazed that only two days after the flood, people had returned to some of the properties.
He, however, added that the FCDA Executive Secretary, who chairs the Taskforce on Flood Mitigation in FCT the commissioner of police and other officials of the FCTA are ready to evolve solutions that would immediately address the menace.
He said: “We just visited Trademore to see the developmental challenges occasioned by the nature of the drainage constructed against water across the roads in the area. We have seen the need to look into this urgently.
“We were quite amazed at the level of flooding that occurred there (Trademore Estate). More particularly is the risk that people took – to build in such a low level plain. While on the road, we saw that even the roof of the houses were below the road level, which makes them vulnerable to flooding.
“The taskforce will immediately swing to action to make recommendations on urgent issues or attention that must be given to the area. As we cannot fold our hands and allow the destruction to continue.
“We were amazed that only two days after the flood, people have returned to some of the properties. So, in a couple of days, we will be taking appropriate action. Having seen the extent of the flooding. We hereby declare the Trademore Estate area a disaster zone that needs immediate action to remedy further damages and loss of lives and properties.
“So, we will look at a programme of evacuating people from those areas, so as to ensure that we prevent the loss of lives and properties.
“For the rest of the year, rain predictions show that there might still be more heavy rains, which means that there could be damages and casualty. And the FCTA will do everything possible within its power to ensure that we mitigate such occurrence.”
However, Malam Shehu Ahmed, the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), said that all structures on waterways across the nation’s capital would be demolished.
Ahmed, who made the announcement at the weekend, said that on several occasions, buildings within the estate had been marked for demolition, following a series of warnings and quit notices to residents to vacate.
Ahmed, who is the chairman, Special Ministerial Task Team on Flood Mitigation, said a police station is among the buildings in the estate that would be demolished.
However, the chairman of the residents association, Mr Adewale Adeleke, told journalists at a news conference on Monday in Abuja that demolition would not solve the recurrent flooding in the estate.
Adeleke said the proposed demolition, if executed, would create humanitarian problems, adding that it would increase the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the FCT.
”Rather than bring down houses in the estate, Aleita Dam should be evacuated, while the three culverts from Ecological road, after Trademore should be expanded.
”The water channel after the estate should also be expanded to accommodate more volume of water,” Adeleke said at the press conference on Monday.
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