Three feared dead as floods paralyse Ado-Ekiti, strand commuters
By Boye Oyeyemi
At least three people were feared dead after torrential rain triggered severe flooding across Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, leaving residents, commuters, students and workers stranded for hours.
The heavy downpour, which lasted several hours on Monday, submerged major roads and communities, and damaged sections of roads and bridges.
The reported casualties included two persons said to have been swept away around the Adehun-Ayemi axis of Adebayo Road, while another victim was reportedly killed near Elemi Bridge along Afao Road.
Among the worst-affected areas were Olorunsogo/Olorunda, Elemi Bridge, Opopogboro-Housing, Adehun-Ayemi, Ilawe-Ekiti Road, Ilupeju Avenue and Iyana Emerin, where floodwaters disrupted movement and left some commuters seeking temporary shelter.
A staff member of Ekiti State University, Lanre Adesuyi, said he abandoned his vehicle around 7pm on Monday after the flood made the road impassable, trekked home and returned about 3am on Tuesday to retrieve the vehicle.
A public affairs analyst, Ayo Arogundade, said the flooding had repeatedly disrupted activities in the state capital, noting that access to communities such as Afao and Iworoko had become difficult due to damaged and flooded roads.
Reacting, the state Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Tosin Aluko-Ajisafe, sympathised with families of the reported victims and warned motorists and other road users against travelling through flooded areas, urging residents to keep drainage channels free of refuse.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said the state had spent more than N1.18 billion between 2023 and 2026 on flood-control measures, including drainage and waterway rehabilitation, while acknowledging that the rain’s intensity could still trigger flash flooding in vulnerable areas.
