A devastating flood struck Makurdi on Friday morning, destroying property and household materials estimated to be worth over ₦12 million in the Gyado Village area. The incident has left a single lady, Precious Utange, dealing with the devastating loss of her belongings while her home stood as a victim of the heavy downpour.
At about 5 a.m., torrential rain began in the Benue State capital, continuing for several hours. Precious, a beautiful single lady living in Gyado Village, initially hoped the rain would pass quickly and that the water entering her house would recede. However, as the downpour intensified, the floodwater rose steadily until it flooded her rooms and eventually took over the entire compound. Despite the rising waters, she remained remarkably calm and positive, even smiling as she moved through the floodwater with strength and resilience.
Precious soon contacted members of her church, who rushed to her assistance. Together, they managed to move some of her belongings to safety, but many items were already irreparably damaged by the flood. Thankfully, no lives were lost in the tragedy.
The massive destruction has also drawn attention to the ongoing construction of Gyado Village Street, which has been under way for more than a year. Residents say proper drainage gutters are still missing, leaving rainwater with nowhere to flow and dangerously increasing the risk of flooding in surrounding compounds and houses.
Speaking about the incident, Precious explained that when an agent first showed her the property, she was told it had “running water.” It was only during this flood that she truly understood just how literally that statement could be taken.
Despite losing valuable belongings, Precious remained remarkably calm and positive. She was seen smiling and trying to make her way through the floodwater in the compound, showing strength even in the face of a difficult situation.
The incident has raised serious concerns about the lack of proper drainage infrastructure in the area. Many have called for urgent intervention to prevent such disasters from happening again.
May God give Precious the strength and provision to recover from this loss, and may the necessary drainage infrastructure be provided to prevent such incidents from happening again.
