TradeMore Flood: No Life Lost

By: Nkechi Isa

The FCT Emergency Management Department,(FEMD), has dismissed as untrue, media reports that two persons lost their lives to the devastating floods at TradeMore Estate Lugbe, Monday.

A video trending on social media Monday, alleged that two persons were swept away by the floods at TradeMore Estate in Lugbe, a suburb of Abuja.

The Acting Director-General of FEMD, Mrs. Florence Wenegieme after an assessment of affected areas at TradeMore discovered that no life was lost.

She said, “We did not receive any distress call from TradeMore. We saw the viral video and we went there to carryout an on the spot assessment. We interviewed some residents and they confirmed that no life was lost to the floods.”

“We activated all emergency stakeholders including NEMA, FCT Fire Service, Department of Development Control and Department of Engineering Services,” the DG added.

According to her, the houses submerged by the floods Monday, were part of the 116 structures earlier marked for demolition in 2023, when TradeMore Estate was declared a disaster zone.

She recalled that FCTA was prevented from removing the structures by a court injunction as instituted by the Association of Residents of TradeMore Estate.

The DG lamented that a primary school with about 500 pupils, management and staff is also sitting on the water channel; describing it as a disaster waiting to happen.

Wenegieme lamented that structures earlier demolished by the Department of Development Control were being rebuilt or renovated by the owners.

She, however, appealed to residents in houses marked for demolition at TradeMore Estate to relocate.

Wenegieme advised the developer of TradeMore Estate to provide all the needed infrastructure to avert a re occurrence of flash floods that may lead to any loss of live(s) at the Estate.