Ogheye: Ocean Swallows Homes, Flood Drives Families From Classrooms

The latest ocean surge occurred early Thursday, sweeping away houses and other structures. A young man was also reportedly injured on the arm and required stitches.

Families who had taken refuge at Ugbeni Primary School, Ogheye, after losing their homes have now been displaced again as floodwater entered the classrooms, forcing them to sleep and cook in waterlogged surroundings.

A community source said the flooding had persisted for about a month but worsened after Thursday and Friday's rainfall.

“It has happened for the last one month, but it happened again after the rain which fell on Thursday and Friday,” the source said.

The source said the situation had become so bad that residents might be forced to leave Ogheye for Warri, Sapele or Koko.

“The town hall and school are already flooded. They have to be relocated to another place. Most persons affected by the first flood had to go to the town hall, now the people have no choice but to leave the village,” the source said.

A white caravan that served as a mobile medical centre donated by the Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, to the community was also affected by the surge, although its equipment had been moved to the town hall.

An elderly woman whose house was washed away said: “I live here (in the school). Where I was living, water carried it away, now water has come here again. I want to leave. People are dying from falling into the water. Children are falling into the water too.”

A teacher said the flood had halted academic activities and called on government to "help us with the piling, so that it can stop the water.”

Another displaced resident, Anthony Agoduwa, said what the community needed most was the piling at the seashore and the back of the school.

A teenager, Happy, said her family moved to the school after their house was washed away, adding: “The flood entered our classrooms, so we cannot go to school today.”

The residents appealed to the Delta State and Federal Governments to urgently intervene, particularly through shoreline piling, which they said was necessary to halt the ocean's advance and save the community from further destruction.

The community source said residents had been waiting for promised intervention from the Delta State Government since an earlier appeal on June 2.

“To make matters worse, another flood has come again to multiply the pains of the people. So from May, these people have been suffering flood issues, but it became worse last week,” the source said.