Heavy Rainstorm Wreaks Havoc in Osogbo, Residents Count Losses

Residents of Osogbo and surrounding communities are still reeling from the devastating effects of a heavy downpour that lasted over an hour on Saturday, leaving widespread destruction across the state capital.

The torrential rain, accompanied by strong winds, destroyed properties worth millions of naira in areas including Ogo-Oluwa, with many victims struggling to assess the extent of the damage. Roofs were blown off buildings, perimeter fences were toppled, and electricity cables damaged, disrupting power supply across several neighbourhoods.

Eyewitnesses reported that several storey buildings suffered severe structural damage. Nurudeen Murtala, one of the affected residents, said the roof of his house was completely torn off, exposing his property to further damage.

“The roof of my house was blown off, and many other houses were also affected,” Murtala lamented. “I have to look for money to repair my damaged property, but unfortunately, I lack the funds to fix it.”

In a related incident, an unidentified truck driver conveying goods was trapped for about an hour after a billboard collapsed onto his vehicle along the Gbongan–Ibadan road near Aregbe around 8 p.m. Residents joined forces to rescue the driver, who survived the ordeal unharmed.

No casualties were officially confirmed, though numerous residents sustained varying degrees of property loss and displacement.

Reacting to the incident, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke expressed deep sympathy with the victims. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the governor described the incident as “sad and unfortunate” and assured that the government, through the Osun State Emergency Management Agency (OSEMA), would take steps to address the losses.

Governor Adeleke also directed the Ministry of Works to clear affected roads to prevent further accidents and ensure traffic flow. He attributed the growing occurrence of such disasters to climate change and called for proactive environmental measures, including tree planting and avoiding indiscriminate felling of trees.

Meanwhile, African Democratic Congress (ADC) gubernatorial candidate in Osun State, Najeem Salam, also sympathised with victims via his X account. He urged residents to remain calm, support one another, and especially assist vulnerable members of the community, including the elderly and children.