Lagos Directs Immediate Evacuation Across Eti-Osa, Kirikiri, and Vulnerable Flood Zones

The Lagos State Government has issued an urgent directive for residents living in low-lying and flood-prone communities to immediately relocate to higher ground, following a severe seven-day flood advisory released by the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NiHSA).

Announcing the precautionary measures during a media briefing, the State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, stressed that the directive is designed to preemptively safeguard lives and property as the state confronts the peak of its resurgent rainy season.

The government explicitly identified several high-risk areas requiring immediate vigilance and readiness to evacuate, including Eti-Osa, Lagos Island, Oke-Ira Nla in Ajah, Kirikiri, Ilaje Waterfront Jetty, and Jetty Terminal B. Additionally, settlements along the Ogun River system and major drainage arteries—spanning Isheri North, Kara, Itowolo, Ajegunle, Majidun, Ogolonto, and parts of Agboyi—were placed on a strict red-alert status due to anticipated upstream water swelling and tidal pressures.

“We are urging Lagosians, particularly those living in flood-prone and low-lying areas, not to take this warning lightly. When the signs point to danger, the safest decision is to move early. No property is worth risking a life,” Wahab stated.

The commissioner noted that rising water levels could inundate critical community facilities, including schools, health centers, markets, and places of worship. Local emergency management committees and community leaders have been mobilized to activate early-warning systems and assist vulnerable residents in moving livestock and valuables.

Residents have also been strongly cautioned against walking or driving through flooded roads and fast-moving currents, while the public was once again reminded to desist from indiscriminate waste disposal into canals and open drainage channels that impede water flow.