Rainstorm Wreaks Havoc In Iwo, Iwoye

• Destroys Over 130 Buildings

• Schools, Mosques, Electric Poles Affected

NO fewer than 130 buildings were destroyed by rainstorm that accompanied the first rain of the year 2024 in Iwo, Iwo local government, and Iwoye in Egbedore local government area of Osun State. 

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the rain which started around 6pm on Tuesday, February 13 rendered many people homeless in Iwo and Iwoye as their buildings were damaged by the windstorm. 

A total of eight classrooms at St. Mary’s Grammar School, Iwo, the principal’s office, and four classrooms of a building at Government Technical College, Iwo, were destroyed by the rainstorm. 

The rainstorm also damaged a storey building of eight classrooms at the School for Islamic Propagation, at Orita Oluyena, Ile-Akede, Iwo.

Also, the Oluwo Central Mosque, the Iwo Customary Court, and the Islaudeen Akewu Kawe mosque were also destroyed.

Iwo was thrown into darkness as there was a blackout in the entire town for four days as a result of the incident. 

It was gathered that the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) had a hectic time fixing some of the electricity poles and wires damaged by the rainstorm. 

One of the victims of the rainstorm, Mr. Azeez Ibrahim, stated that a windstorm preceded the rain, which started around 7 pm on Tuesday. 

He said: “We were inside our house when the windstorm started. The windstorm preceded the rain, which started around 7 pm. The windstorm blew off our room by half. It was an unfortunate incident, but we thank God for the safety of our lives.

“We have been managing to live in the same building since there is no other place for us to go and there is no financial capacity to fix the building now. 

“Our baba, Oluwo, has visited us and we are looking forward to support from every quarter.”

The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, during an inspection to evaluate the extent of damage inflicted upon public and private properties in his town, assured the victims of his commitment to get government intervention and assistance.

Oba Akanbi called on the Federal and State Governments to provide aid to the affected victims.

Oluwo, in a statement released by his press secretary, Alli Ibraheem, said: “I commiserate with my people who had their properties damaged by the rainstorm heralding new season. I’m worried about the monumental destruction of the public and private properties in Iwo.

“I appeal to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for their intervention. About forty concrete electric poles were broken. St. Mary Grammar School, Iwo, had the roofs of 10 classrooms removed, Oluwo Central Mosque roof and the Iwo Customary Court roofs were also affected. Hundreds were rendered homeless, and shops and goods inside were destroyed.

“For three days ago, when the incident happened, there was no electricity in Iwo. We have been experiencing a blackout. This is a critical moment in the lives of the people of Iwo. The federal and state governments should come to our aid. Many shop owners running their businesses with loans are groaning. NEMA should please console us.”

“I pray such will not happen in Iwo again. We thank God no casualty was recorded.”

The General Overseer of the School for Propagation of Islamic Truth at Orita Oluyena, Ile Akede, Iwo, Khalifa Ismail Ajibọpẹ, explained that the windstorm pulled down the front part of a storey building of eight classrooms and blew off the roof of another. 

Ajibope called on well-meaning individuals to come to the aid of victims of the windstorm, stating that the burden was too much for them to bear. 

Other areas where buildings were destroyed by the windstorms in Iwo are: Idiagbede, Ilé Jagun-Ọdẹ, Jayeola, Eesu, and Agbojagun, among others. 

In Iwoye, OSUN DEFENDER gathered that about 30 buildings and electricity poles were damaged by the windstorm. 

A resident of the community, Pastor Aderibigbe Olukayode, stated that the windstorm which started in the evening left the town in sorrow, saying many people have been rendered homeless. 

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Emergency Management, Hon. Emiola Fakeye, led a government delegation to Iwo and Iwoye on a sympathy visit to victims of the windstorm on Tuesday.

Fakeye, who was accompanied by a team from the Osun State Emergency Management Agency (OSEMA), conducted an on-the-spot verification and assessment exercise to gauge the extent of the damages caused by the windstorm in the communities. 

She prayed against the recurrence of such disasters in the area and across Osun State, urging the affected individuals to submit pictures of the damaged properties along with their requests to OSEMA for prompt relief gestures.

The General Manager of OSEMA, Mr. Jide Falade, acknowledged the inevitability of natural disasters, just as he emphasized the importance of vigilance and timely repairs to mitigate their impact.