Flash Flood Displaces Maiduguri Residents, Forces Shutdown of Health Program

Heavy rainfall lasting over three hours triggered a flash flood in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, on Wednesday, displacing several residents and disrupting key public services, including a health initiative planned for the day.

Affected areas include Damboa Road, Moduganari, Ngomari, and surrounding communities, where residents were forced to abandon their homes to seek shelter with relatives and friends.

In a conversation with the media, a resident near Indimi House on Damboa Road expressed concern over the unexpected scale of the flooding.

“Normally, rainwater just pools in small areas, but this one was shocking. It didn’t even come from any river or stream,” the resident said.

In Moduganari, the damage was more apparent.
“Water has already entered some houses,” said Joshua Solomon, a local. “Some families have fled. Our own home is nearly flooded — this is exactly how last year’s disaster began.”

A government source confirmed that the Ngomari Primary Health Care Centre was also affected, prompting the postponement of a scheduled health program by UNICEF and the Borno State Primary Healthcare Development Board. The event was to launch the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiative in Jere LGA.

“This flooding forced us to postpone the flag-off. The centre was overrun by water,” the source noted.

This incident comes 10 months after a similar flooding disaster in Maiduguri and nearby communities claimed over 300 lives and displaced millions.

With the rainy season in full swing, residents and motorists are calling on the state and federal governments to take urgent flood mitigation steps, including improved drainage systems and emergency relief.