The Borno State Police Command says it recovered no fewer than 11 decomposed bodies of victims of the recent flood that has ravaged some parts of the state.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakili, disclosed this in a statement on behalf of the state Commissioner of Police, Yusufu Mohammed, on Friday.
Recall that Maiduguri, the state’s capital, was severely flooded after the Alau Dam collapsed on Tuesday morning, leaving much of the city underwater.
Wakili said that the bodies were recovered by the policemen during a rescue operation between Wednesday and Thursday.
In his words, “Regrettably, a total of 11 decomposed corpses have been recovered as a result of the recent flood disaster, and the rescue operations are currently ongoing.
“Following reports from various divisions including Lamisula, Jere, GRA, Bulabulin, and Dandal Divisional Police Headquarters in Maiduguri, it was confirmed that a total of 11 drowned corpses were recovered in different areas between the hours of 1000hrs to 1400hrs on 11/09/2024 and 12/09/2024.”
He added that the police would continue its search and rescue operations across the affected communities.
“Given the gravity of this tragic situation, the command is committed to dedicating all possible efforts to ensure that recovery and rescue operations are carried out effectively in the affected communities,” Wakili affirmed.
PUNCH Online reports that at least 414,000 people were displaced, and another 30 were killed by the devastating flood in Maiduguri.
The National Emergency Management Agency had said that the flood began after the Alau Dam overflowed following heavy rains leading to the town’s worst flooding in 30 years, according to the United Nations Human Rights Refugee Council and Maiduguri Metropolitan Council residents.
NEMA’s spokesman, Manzo Ezekiel, on Wednesday, disclosed that the death toll had hit 30 and displaced persons close to half a million.
The flooding incident was compared to the 1994 floods, with residents claiming it was even worse this time around.
