Residents of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Friday, witnessed the first major rain which started around 5:30pm with heavy winds and strong downpour, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
NAN reports that the downpour caused minor damages to some weak structures, including shacks and shops.
Minor cases of flooding were also noticed in parts of the city as some residents dumped refuse into the waterways thereby hindering free flow of water.
Some roads were littered with dirt as the rain overflowed and flooded the roads due to clogged drainages.
There was traffic gridlock on major roads shortly after the downpour as commuters that were earlier held down by rain jostled to reach their various destination.
A resident of Ibadan, Alice Aborishade, said that it was imperative for the people to stop the habit of clogging waterways so as to avert flooding.
“Let everyone take a cue from the past and stop the act of pouring dirt into waterways when it rains,” Aborishade said.
A community leader, Akin Amao, said the rain would help to reduce heat being experienced and bring comfort to all.
“I am sure that farmers will be delighted as it rained and it will help their preparation for farming this year.
“We need rain so that food prices would crash,” Amao said.
Mayowa Oluyinka said as some gutters had been blocked, shop owners would need to do extra work of clearing the dirt in the morning.
“We must ensure a cleaner environment to be free from outbreak of diseases, especially now that the outbreak of Lassa Fever has been reported in the state. We must ensure that we are safe from whatever is harmful,” Oluyinka said.
(NAN).
