By Boluwatife Adedokun
Residents of Osogbo have called for urgent government intervention following a heavy downpour on Saturday evening that destroyed homes, damaged properties and disrupted livelihoods across several communities in the Osun State capital.
The rainstorm, which lasted for over an hour and was accompanied by strong winds, affected areas including Ogooluwa, Jolayemi, Fakunle, Gbodofan, Odiolowo Orita Sabo and some other areas, leaving many households exposed and struggling to cope with the aftermath.
Tragedy, however, struck at the Orita Sabo area where a resident, Mrs. Jemilat Tijani, was confirmed dead after the incident, marking the only reported fatality linked to the storm, while some are in the hospital.
Across the affected communities, roofs were blown off buildings, electric poles collapsed, and floodwater entered homes, destroying personal belongings and essential household items.
At the Jolayemi area, near Gbodofan Girls School, fallen electric poles and scattered wires posed immediate danger to residents during and after the storm.
A resident, Bello Azeez, said swift action by community members helped prevent further casualties.
“It spoiled a lot of things in our area. It happened around 7 p.m.,” he said.
“I was part of those that packed the electric wire when the pole fell. I quickly called NEPA to switch off the light so it would not affect people. Since I got to Osogbo, it has never happened like this before. I beg the government to help intervene in this situation.”
Residents said the fallen poles and exposed wires heightened fears of electrocution, forcing many to remain indoors even after the rain subsided.
In Fakunle, along Jimoh Ibrahim Street, several homes were left exposed after roofing sheets were ripped off by the wind, allowing rainwater to pour directly into living spaces.
One of the affected residents, Ayinde Aduke, described how quickly the situation escalated.
“I was outside that day, sitting on a chair, and when the rain started, my child told me we should go inside,” she said.
“Not up to five minutes after I entered the house, the storm brought roofing sheets from another house into my house, and before we knew it, it had also carried our own roofing sheets.”
She said the family struggled to contain the flooding.
“We started packing water inside the house. Many things were damaged,” she added.
According to her, the destruction has made daily living difficult.
“It spoiled our electronic properties. The problem now is that we don’t have money to repair the roof, and we have been putting our mattress under the sun to dry. If another rain falls now, we have nowhere to stay,” she said, appealing for government support.
At Gbodofan, opposite CAC Girls Grammar School in Araromi, traders also recorded heavy losses as floodwater destroyed goods worth hundreds of thousands of naira.
A trader, Adewale Adepoju, said the storm affected both their businesses and homes.
“Our goods like semo, garri, rice and others were destroyed. The loss is about N500,000, and our roofs were also damaged,” he said.
He added that many affected traders are currently stranded.
“We don’t have money to repair it. Since Saturday, we have just been looking for where to stay,” he said.
Similarly, residents in Odiolowo described the rainfall as sudden and overwhelming, leaving little time to salvage belongings.
A resident, Ayo Babatunde, said, “The rainfall was very heavy and unexpected. A lot of property was affected.”
He, however, expressed relief that more lives were not lost.
“We thank God that apart from the reported death, no other life was lost, even though many properties were damaged,” he said.
Residents across the affected areas have continued to call on the government to provide relief materials and financial support to help them recover from the losses.
