The Borno State Government issued a high alert and closed down schools as the flood submerged several homes and killed more than 80% of the animals in a large zoo housing wildlife from lions and crocodiles to buffalo and ostriches, after the Alau Dam eventually broke down Tuesday morning.

Residents near Sanda Kyarimi Park in Maiduguri, Borno State, have been ordered to evacuate immediately due to a flood disaster that has released dangerous reptiles from the zoo. The state government has issued a high alert and closed schools as the floodwaters, exacerbated by the collapse of the Alau Dam on Tuesday morning, continue to rise and pose a significant threat to public safety.

Residents said several homes have been submerged, including the palace of the Shehu of Borno and government facilities.

According to some residents, reptiles, including snakes and crocodiles, were seen in the flooded water after part of the zoo’s fence collapsed. A crocodile from the zoo was killed on Tuesday morning to prevent danger. Several ostriches escaped from the flooded zoo and were seen in the town.

There were fears that other animals in the zoo, like lions, may be killed by the flood in their enclosure, which prevented them from escaping.

The flood began a few days ago, but reached its peak in the early hours of Tuesday, displacing residents of Fori, Galtimari, Gwange, Bulabulin, and other communities.

Communities around the Custom area were also severely affected by the flood. The water overflowed the Fori bridge, which connects Fori and Galtimari to Tashan Bama, and submerged several homes.

Locations affected by the flooding in Maiduguri town include Fori, Gwange, UMTH London Ciki, Gidan Danbe, Zara Plaza, Lagos Street, Abbaganaram, Kofa by, Budum, Kalari, Shehuri, Shehuri North, and Post office Dikwa low cost.

After the dam filled up last week, the state Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, called for the immediate evacuation of residents from the riverbank areas.

“Due to the unusually high volume of water this year, we urge all the residents living along the river bank to take immediate action to protect themselves and their properties.

“The Alau Dam water has broken down another channel that is currently destroying farms and the water is heading toward the river bank.”

Mr Tar also urged the residents of the affected areas to follow evacuation routes to ensure safe passage.”