A rainfall that lasted barely 20 minutes on Friday evening has once again exposed years of government neglect, as floodwaters swept through parts of Jambutu Bayan Tasha and Damilu less than an hour after the downpour began.

After more than two weeks without rain, residents expected relief — not another flood disaster.

Instead, by about 7pm, homes, streets and businesses in the affected communities were already under floodwater, reviving painful memories of previous disasters that have claimed lives and destroyed property over the past two decades.

Residents say the flooding did not come as a surprise.

They point to blocked drainage channels and the ongoing 31-kilometre Kofare road construction as factors they believe worsened the situation.

“This disaster was waiting to happen,” a resident, Awwal Badhar told SaharaReporters. “It took only 20 minutes of rainfall to throw entire neighbourhoods into panic.”

For more than 20 years, Jambutu Bayan Tasha and Damilu have remained among Yola’s most flood-prone communities. Families say they have repeatedly watched their homes inundated, properties destroyed and livelihoods washed away, while appeals for a permanent solution have yielded little.

Hope was rekindled when the World Bank-supported ACReSAL programme reportedly identified the flood channel in the area for a major flood control intervention. However, residents say they have seen no sign that the project is moving toward implementation.

Some community members also question why similar flood control work has reportedly been carried out elsewhere while the Jambutu project remains in limbo. These concerns have fueled fresh calls for transparency and urgent action.

Residents are now appealing to Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, the Adamawa State Government, ACReSAL and the Federal Government to immediately commence the flood control project before heavier rains arrive.

Their warning is stark: unless urgent intervention begins, more lives and property could be lost to a disaster they insist is entirely preventable.

For the people of Jambutu Bayan Tasha and Damilu, Friday’s flood was not merely the result of heavy rainfall.

They say it was another reminder that delayed action carries a human cost — and that every rainy season without a permanent solution places thousands of residents at risk.

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