Heavy downpour drowns six, destroys property worth N80m

A heavy downpour which lasted for about five hours has drowned at least six people and destroyed property worth over N80 million in the Obosi community near Onitsha in Anambra.

The downpour, which started in the early hours of Friday, also caused the collapse of an uncompleted 4-storey building in the Owelle Aja area of the community, while many houses have been flooded with their occupants trapped inside them.

NAN also observed that a lot of people in the Oduke Layout were wailing, where a family of four drown during the downpour. Speaking to NAN, a landlord in the community, Chief Achebe Ifemaje, said that government must move fast to re-plan the community and stop land speculators selling every piece of available land, without minding the water channel.

"What has happened is a big lesson to everyone, especially where people refuse to plan but put money first, rather than the safety of lives. We appeal to Gov. Willie Obiano to come and re-plan the entire Obosi community, especially its layouts and the Owelle Aja area,’’ he said.

An indigene of Obosi, Mr Michael Chukwurah, appealed to government to prohibit the activities of land speculators and restore the master-plan of the community by removing all structures blocking the free flow of water.

"It is a lie that Obosi does not have a master-plan, but land speculators will keep peddling that rumour, in order to get more land to sell; we do have a master-plan and prominent people in Obosi should invite the state government to come and do the needful,’’ Chukwurah added.