During a heavy downpour on Friday, at least 116 houses in the well-known Trademore Estate located in Lugbe, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), were submerged, resulting in extensive damage to properties worth hundreds of millions of naira.

Dr. Abbas G. Idriss, the Director General of the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), confirmed this in a statement on Friday.

Fortunately, four individuals were rescued and are currently in stable condition.

Distressed residents of the estate were observed attempting to save their lives and salvage their belongings as their houses became submerged.

Trademore Estate has frequently experienced devastating flooding, leading to the loss of billions of naira in lives and properties.

However, during the 2022 rainy season, occupants of the estate were spared from flooding due to re-engineering remediation work carried out by the estate’s owner, which involved expanding gutters and demolishing buildings situated in flood-prone areas.

Stakeholders including NEMA, Fire Service, FCT FEMA, Red Cross, and the Federal Ministry of Environment-Flood department are currently responding to the flood situation.

Dr. Idriss attributed the floods to infractions on the water channel and appealed to residents whose houses were built on the water channel to relocate for their safety.

He also urged residents to use the emergency toll-free number, 112, in case of any emergencies.