Due to hours of nonstop rain on Friday morning, an unknown number of people are stranded in their homes and a large number have been forced to flee the Trade Moore Area of Lugbe in Abuja.
Social media users shared footage showing how the rain engulfed homes, cars, and other buildings, locking some residents inside and others outdoors.
An representative of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) cautioned citizens to leave places that are susceptible to flooding in order to prevent fatalities in an interview with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA).
“If you are abandoning a home constructed on a canal in an area that is prone to floods, that location is dangerous. Please relocate to a safer location, if only to save lives.
“Properties may disappear, but the Bible declares that as long as you are alive, there is hope, and you can find new property. The lesson for today is that we have all seen what occurred when the water buried automobiles and showed us that people may also be covered by the water.
“Don’t underestimate or undervalue the strength of water; it may destroy homes, cars, and other structures. We are begging as a result because we do not want any lives or property to be lost.
Meanwhile, NEMA said that a Peugeot 406 driver with the registration number YLA 681 FS perished in the water and is still missing after search and rescue operations at Imo Street, Trade More Estate Lugbe, Abuja.
The organization also said that four people had been saved and were in stable condition.