More than 100 communities in Niger State have been submerged following the overflow of the River Niger. Farmlands and houses have also been destroyed, leaving residents of the affected communities homeless.
Although there are no reports of casualties, the Niger State Governor, Mr Abubakar Bello, has visited the communities with other members of the state executive to find ways of relocating the residents. Elsewhere, the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency has said flood has killed 10 persons and displaced scores of others, following the recent heavy rainfall recorded in the state.
Nine people have lost their lives while over 200 houses were destroyed and numerous farm lands washed out by flood in Gombe between May and August. Massive flooding has destroyed more than 175 houses, rendered at least 3,000 people homeless in Cross River, according to Mr John Inaku, Director-General of State Emergency Management Agency.
The Rice Famers Association of Nigeria in Kano state says the recent flood has destroyed over 5,000 hectares of rice farm in some local government areas of the state since August when the flood started in the state.
These incidents are coming weeks after the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency issued a flood alert for seven states – Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Anambra, Delta, and Bayelsa – on the floodplains of River Niger.
The agency also warned that the steady rise in water levels and weather forecast in the coming weeks have put Nigeria at risk of witnessing a recurrence of catastrophic flooding similar to what it witnessed in 2012 when over 300 people died and more than two million people were displaced. The National Emergency Management Agency has urged state Governments to begin immediate evacuation of people living in flood prone areas to emergency centres.
Join our twitter community :