Commuters plying the Akure-Ore highway were stranded for many hours.due to flooding in Ondo town after hours of heavy rain.
Many parts of the town in Ondo West local were flooded with some passengers were trapped inside their vehicles.
A yet–to-be confirmed report said one person was swept away by the flood but Ondo Police spokesman, SP Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, said no report of any death has been reported as of press time.
Many houses were flooded including the Oke-Odunwo bridge and Itanla area.
A former candidate of the Alliance for Democracy, Babajide Akin-Thomas, was among the many commuters to have managed to drive to safety.
He posted: “On my way from Abuja today, about to enter my home town, Ondo City, see rain, see flood. Thank God we quickly turned back and drove to a hill. We are safe, myself and my P.A. Some other people and their vehicles are stucked.”
Vice Chairman, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ondo West local government, Hon Basiru Oluwole, attributed cause of the flood to dumping of refuse of drainages and construction of houses on waterways.
Hon Oluwole said the flood affected almost all the areas of Ondo West.
He said the flood would have caused severe havoc if the state government had not earlier deployed an excavator to desilt drains in the area.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniran, ordered evacuation of the affected areas and deployment of rapid response of the government to halt further damages.
Aiyedatiwa who sympathised with the Osemawe of Ondo and the people of Ondo kingdom, said every necessary machinery has been put in place to avert the possible flood as predicted by NIMET.
He said Amphibious Excavators have been deployed into critical erosion-prone areas in the state for dredging.
He said work has been going on at the most critical erosion prone locations in Ondo town. (Nation)