Nigeria – Borno Flooding: Scores Of Insurgents Reportedly Killed In Sambisa Forest

By Onoja Baba, Abuja, Nigeria 

Severe flooding in the Sambisa Forest, Borno State, has reportedly destroyed the Boko Haram enclave known as Dollarland, resulting in the deaths of many insurgents and their families.

Credible security sources have revealed that dozens of insurgents, including women and children, drowned when the floodwaters struck their hideout at around 2 a.m., catching many of them while they were asleep.

The source described the area as swampy, with severe flooding from the Yedzaram River sweeping through Dollarland, causing widespread devastation. The insurgents reportedly buried over 100 bodies, while many others were displaced in the Gwoza area.

The flooding also damaged a portion of the old prison in Maiduguri, where several inmates were evacuated to a new maximum-security facility. A security source confirmed that the incident occurred around 5 a.m., but there were reports, which remain unverified, that some prisoners managed to escape during the evacuation.

The flooding, which struck Maiduguri in the early hours of yesterday, has displaced over 200,000 people, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

In addition to the human toll, the floodwaters have submerged hundreds of houses and destroyed numerous properties, including farmlands, business places, and critical infrastructure. Many residents, particularly from the Jere Local Government Area, have been forced to flee their homes.

The flooding followed the collapse of the Alau Dam, which overflowed its banks, flooding areas up to 10 kilometers away into Maiduguri. Entire residential and commercial areas, including the popular Monday Market, the Shehu of Borno’s Palace, and several neighborhoods such as Shehuri, Gwange, Adamkolo, Gamboru, Fori, Bulabulin, Post Office areas, Moromoro, and Customs Bridge, have been submerged.

Many residents are desperately searching for missing loved ones, with some describing the flooding as the worst disaster in 30 years. Fatima Ali, a local resident, said, “I managed to escape, but my parents and six siblings remain trapped. I want to appeal to the government to do everything humanly possible to rescue them.”

Ibrahim Musa, a shop owner, shared his experience, stating, “We just fled the zoo area for fear of being attacked by escaping wildlife. All the shops around the popular Monday Market and Post Office have been submerged by the flood.”

The flood has also devastated local businesses, with traders at the Monday Market watching helplessly as their goods, worth billions of naira, were washed away. Muhammad Bulama, a sugar and flour trader, lamented, “Our goods worth billions of naira have been submerged. Just pray for us.”

Meanwhile, Ibrahim Jirgi, who reported on a similar flood incident in 1994 for the BBC and Daily Times, suggested that climate change might be responsible for the latest disaster. “During the 1994 incident, the whole of Maiduguri was taken over by water. People climbed trees to survive, and many thought that the world had come to an end,” he recalled.

The flooding has also led to the exhumation of corpses at the Gwange Cemetery, with bodies floating through the streets, traumatizing residents. Many patients at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) have been stranded as the facility has been submerged.

Ali Galadima, whose wife was admitted to the hospital, said, “She was complaining of hunger, but the water level wouldn’t allow me to access the hospital. Many patients’ relatives are stranded looking for ways to access them.”

Maiduguri remains on high alert, with the Acting Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Sirajo Garba, confirming that the agency and others have been working diligently to rescue victims trapped in flood-affected areas, although the exact number of fatalities remains unknown.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Association of Resident Doctors, Abubakar Ngubdo, has warned of the high risk of water-borne diseases due to the contamination of surface water by corpses, sewage, septic tanks, and refuse. He called for immediate government intervention to prevent an epidemic.

The flooding has also affected wildlife, with the General Manager of Sanda Kyarimi Museum Park, Maiduguri, Ali Abatcha, reporting that 80 percent of the animals in the zoo have died, while dangerous animals like crocodiles and snakes have been washed into nearby communities. The public has been urged to take precautions to avoid attacks by these animals.

In response to the disaster, the Borno State Government has reopened several Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps to accommodate those affected by the flood. Thousands of people have been seen moving into these camps, prompting aid agencies to assist with registration.

Meanwhile, the police have advised citizens to avoid flooded routes and stay in safer areas while efforts continue to ensure the safety of lives and property.