No fewer than 500 houses and properties worth several millions of naira were yesterday submerged in an overnight flood in parts of the Kogi State capital, Lokoja yesterday.
Residents of Adankolo community and other neighbouring communities woke up to see their houses submerged in water as a result of the overflow of the Niger River.
When LEADERSHIP visited Agbayi Quarters and other communities off Ganaja Road, victims were seen trying to evacuate their belongings from the submerged houses.
A 65-year-old woman, Nana Amina, decried government’s attitude towards the victims.
“Nobody should come here and video my properties. This is the same way some people came during the last flood incident and took pictures of our houses and went to collect money with it without getting back to us,” she said.
She however pleaded with the government to come to their aid as they have no place to keep their belongings.
Tricycle (Keke Napep) operators were seen moving properties out of the flooded houses as people resorted to using canoes to access their houses.
Worship centers were not left out as over 20 churches and mosques were affected. Affected worship centers have been deserted and some are already using makeshift centres.
Residents and victims urged government agencies to come to their rescue.
Aminu Suleiman said; “It’s a very bad condition. I’m planning to move my property to my friend’s house to see if I can manage with them if they can give me a room to stay.”
Another victim, Mohammed Adamu, said they didn’t expect any flood as it came to them as a surprise. He said; “It has not been easy for all of us in this area, this is a mess, we didn’t experience anything like this last year but this year, we have been packing our things and we are tired. We want government to do something to save us from this situation.’
The state commissioner for environment and natural resources, Hon. Victor Omofaiye, said government’s effort to cushion the effect of the flooding was yielding the desired results.
He said; “We have activities that are segmented and the first segment has to do with sensitisation and carrying out awareness campaigns. We have gone round the flood-prone areas to tell the people that once there is an occurrence, they should move to a higher ground but it’s quite unfortunate that some people will not relocate and they will be telling you that they can’t move out of their ancestral homes.”
Omofaiye added; “Some people will deliberately build houses on the waterways or the bank of the river not minding the dangers associated with blocking the waterways.”
The commissioner maintained that several IDP camps had been provided while hostels that can accommodate thousands of people had been prepared but most victims were not making use of the camps despite the fact that enough provision was made for their safety and security.
He added that government would not stop at nothing to continue to protect the lives and property of residents and citizens. He said a project though not completed was reducing the effect of the flood.
In Benue, some residents of Makurdi, the state capital, fled for safety yesterday following an unprecedented surge from the River Benue which submerged several houses, leaving thousands of residents homeless with property worth billions of naira destroyed.
It was observed that the surge which started a week ago, submerged over 500 houses, markets, places of worship and farmlands.
Our correspondent observed that people residing around bank of the river, Gboko road, Rice Mill, Awe Street among others were packing out of the areas as the bank of the river was already overflowed by water believed to be coming from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
Other communities affected include Wurukum, Rice Mill, Kucha Otebe, Gyado Villa, Wurukum Abattoir, Judges’ Quarters as well as headquarters of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Makurdi.
The commissioner for water resources and environment, Dr. Godwin Oyiwona, disclosed that the rise in water level was 9 metres which was close to what happened in 2012 when the level was 11.1 metres and was disastrous.
The commissioner appealed to residents staying in flood-prone areas to relocate to safer places, adding that the water level was increasing because of the increase in the water level from the dam in Cameroon.
Executive secretary, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Dr Emmanuel Shior, also appealed to those living in flood-prone areas to relocate to safer places.
Shior said plans were already on to procure beddings, bedsheets and mosquito nets among other things to assist displaced persons even as he said they were closely monitoring the flood prone areas.
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