Residents living along the Osun River bank in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, have been badly affected after the river overflowed its banks following days of heavy rainfall.
The incident, which occurred after about four days of rainfall, saw the river rise beyond its usual channel, forcing water into residential buildings, farmlands and other properties located close to the river.
When OSUN DEFENDER visited some of the affected communities on Monday, several houses had been taken over by floodwater, while some residents were seen evacuating their belongings to safer locations.
A resident, Mr Saheed Akanni, said many families had temporarily relocated to avoid further damage.
“Some of us have started moving our belongings out. The water has entered our compounds and some buildings. Many families have left their houses and are staying with relatives elsewhere while monitoring the situation,” Akanni said.
Another resident, Mrs Adeogun, said farmers whose farmlands were located close to the river had suffered significant losses.
“Our farmlands near the river have been covered by water. All our crops are under water. If the water stays for long, we will lose everything we have invested,” she lamented.
The residents appealed to the state government to intensify efforts to control the flood, including the dredging of the Osun River, while calling for relief materials to be provided through the Osun State Emergency Management Agency for affected households.
Similarly, two residents of Ayekale, Osogbo, Adeojo Adewale and Sukurat Taiwo, said they lost property to flooding that affected the area after heavy rainfall last Friday.
Sukurat, a widow, told OSUN DEFENDER on Monday that several houses were flooded, resulting in the loss of valuables.
“I lost valuables to flooding and many houses were flooded after heavy rain in Osogbo last Friday. The water channel in our area is blocked, and just a few hours of rain caused the water to overflow its banks. We live in fear of another flooding at any moment. It has been raining in our area for the past three hours. The government needs to act quickly,” she said.
Residents of Ifesowapo Community in the Ijetu area of Osogbo, near the Osun Bridge and around Ayonic Filling Station, have also appealed to the state government to urgently intervene over persistent flooding in the community.
The residents said the recurring flooding had caused significant hardship, disrupting movement and posing risks to homes, businesses and residents, particularly during heavy rainfall.
They called for immediate drainage and other flood-control measures to address the situation and prevent further damage.
In Atakumosa East Local Government Area, residents of Ijaregbe, Alatise and adjoining communities also called on Governor Ademola Adeleke and other elected representatives to intervene over the collapse of the Ilesa-Ijaregbe link road.
The road, which serves as a shorter route connecting Ilesa to Ijebu-Jesa, was washed away by flood on Monday, leaving a wide crater filled with muddy water after a culvert collapsed.
The Olomu of Ijaregbe, Oba Edward Adetimo, confirmed in a telephone interview with this medium on Tuesday that the bridge linking his community to Ilesa had been damaged following the heavy downpour.
A video of the road seen by OSUN DEFENDER showed that it had become impassable to vehicles and motorcycles, disrupting social and economic activities in the area.
Also, residents of Kunike School Road, Oke-Jetu, Ilesa Garage area of Osogbo, lamented the deplorable condition of the road, which they said worsened following heavy rainfall during the week.
In a video posted by Osogbo Updates and seen by OSUN DEFENDER, the road was seen to have been severely washed away, with deep gullies and muddy portions making movement difficult.
When contacted, the Osun State Commissioner for Environment, Mayowa Adejoorin, said the state government had taken measures to mitigate the effects of flooding.
Adejoorin described flooding as a seasonal occurrence associated with heavy and prolonged rainfall, saying the situation had not degenerated to an uncontrollable level.
He, however, appealed to residents to desist from dumping refuse in waterways and avoid building close to riverbanks.
The current flooding comes amid warnings by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency in its 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction of normal to above-normal rainfall and the risk of flash floods in several parts of the country, including Osun State.
How Osun Tackled Flooding Under Aregbesola
The renewed flooding has also brought back memories of the flood-control measures undertaken by the administration of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, during his tenure from 2010 to 2018.
OSUN DEFENDER recalls that flood management was one of the areas that received considerable attention under the administration, particularly in Osogbo and other communities located around major waterways. The government embarked on extensive desilting of drainage channels and waterways as part of efforts to improve the flow of storm water and reduce the risk of flooding.
The administration also constructed and rehabilitated drainage infrastructure in several parts of the state. In Osogbo, some of the drainage works were extensive enough to require the removal of structures that had been built over drainage channels, including the structure around the RASCO area near the Old Garage area.
Another major intervention was the dredging of the Osun River. The exercise involved the use of heavy-duty dredging equipment to remove accumulated silt and other materials from the river channel and improve its capacity to accommodate increased water flow during periods of heavy rainfall.
The dredging programme followed years of concern over flooding in parts of the state. Osun had experienced significant flooding in 2009 and 2010, with communities along waterways particularly affected. The subsequent interventions under the Aregbesola administration were aimed at addressing some of the environmental and drainage conditions believed to have contributed to the problem.
The administration also responded to flood warnings issued during its tenure, with the state government taking precautionary measures to minimise the impact of anticipated heavy rainfall.
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