A man has drowned after a portion of the Ureje Bridge in Ado-Ekiti caved in due to flooding on Monday evening.
The bridge links Ado-Ekiti to the Federal Polytechnic and Afe Babalola University in Ekiti State.
Sources said flood had swept away four persons, but three of them were rescued.
A resident of the area, Mr. Sunday Akomolafe, said, “The victim and three women were coming to Ado Ekiti from a journey and wanted to navigate the water, only for them to be overwhelmed by flood.
“Three of them were rescued and taken to hospital, but the man was not lucky.
“He drowned in water and his body was recovered around 8:00 a.m. this morning (Tuesday),” he said.
Vehicular and human movements were hindered till the early hours of Tuesday.
Commuters to ABUAD, Federal Polytechnic, Ikare Akoko in Ondo State and those coming into the state capital had to park their vehicles and wait for several hours for the water to subside to enable them to walk through.
Other parts of Ado-Ekiti metropolis that were reportedly badly hit by flooding include Eminrin, Omisanjana, Egbewa and Olorunsogo.
Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Mr. Bisi Egbeyemi, who visited the Ureje Bridge, appealed for calm, saying the state government would ensure that the bridge is repaired.
The Special Adviser on Road Transport and Infrastructure to Governor Kayode Fayemi, Sunday Adunmo, said the disconnected section of the bridge would be reconnected within the next few hours.
Adunmo said, “We are embarking on palliative works till dry season when the road repair work will be contracted.
“What we need here is a new bridge that can accommodate more water. A 60×60 bridge is no longer fashionable.
“We are going to open one lane for commuters and motorists to use pending the time the palliative measures will end so that we will put the second lane back.
“It is going to be for light vehicles because we are going to mount restriction.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, confirmed the death, saying, “Yes, I can confirm to you that one man drowned.
“His corpse has been taken to the mortuary.”
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