Several residents of the Agbado-Oke Odo Local Council Development Area of Lagos have been rendered homeless after their houses were damaged by a rainstorm on Monday.
No fewer than 100 houses and 13 churches were destroyed by the rainstorm. Schools, shops, filling stations, fences, electric poles and trees were damaged by the storm, which residents said lasted for about one hour.
Sadly, after the dust had settled, a seven-month pregnant woman, identified only as Basirat, was found dead inside a church.
The communities were still counting their losses when a Punch man visited the area on Tuesday.
It was gathered that the affected communities included Peace Estate, Ikola-Eleyin, Ikola-Odunsi, Liberty Estate, Ikola-Powerline and Oke-Ishagun, among others.
Each has several community development associations and consisted of no fewer than 10 streets.
Some residents were observed repairing their buildings, while those whose houses were levelled sat beside the rubble.
The roofs of houses and schools blown off by the storm littered the roads.
Basirat, who was said to be about 27 years old, was reportedly asleep inside a canopy-covered orthodox church when the rainstorm blew the church away.
A woman, whose house was beside the church, explained that the victim had attempted to escape when she was hit by a thunderbolt.
She said, “Basirat came to observe Igbele (spiritual confinement) in the church. She had several miscarriages and stillbirths and that was why she was brought to the church.
When the rainstorm started, it blew off the church’s canopy. The woman, who was aroused from sleep, stood up to flee, but was struck down by a thunderbolt. She fell on her stomach and died.”
The resident took Punch to her house, which collapsed and the roof blown off. It was observed that appliances in the house were burnt, including sockets and cables.
She said there was no electricity at the time of the storm, and that her generator was also not on. So what led to the fire? No one could tell.
Also, a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Fatai, who lived in Ikola-Powerline, lamented that they and their three children had been rendered homeless. Their house was levelled by the rainstorm.
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