Kogi On Red Alert As Rivers Niger, Benue Water Levels Rise

Residents of flood-prone areas in Kogi State are now living in fears following the rise in water levels of both River Niger and River Benue.

Kogi State is one of the States alerted of impeding flooding, according to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) predictions. The State also plays host to the Confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue.

When LEADERSHIP visited the bank of River Niger on Tuesday, the water volume has reached an alarming level, sending fears into spines of the people living at the river bank.

Hassan Jibril, who lives in Pata area, which is prone to yearly flooding, said they are now living in fears, even as he said that they have always relocated every year since the 2012 deadly flood which submerged several communities in several local governments in the state

“We are now living in fears because of the rise in water level. This is how we used to move every year since 2012,” she said.

The affected local government areas are Kogi, Ajaokuta, Ofu, Ibaji, Adavi, Bassa and Omala.

However, addressing journalists on Tuesday in Lokoja, the Executive Secretary, Kogi State Emergency Management Agency (KOSEMA), and team lead for Emergency Response and preparedness team, Alhaji Mouktar Atimah, disclosed that Kogi State was no longer safe owing to the rising of the waters in the Rivers Niger and Benue.

The Executive Secretary had earlier paid a visit to the Commissioner of Health on the need for effective collaboration because of the health challenges posed by the impending flood.

He intimated residents of the state, particularly these living in the flood-prone areas, of the rising levels of the Rivers Niger and Benue, saying that in the next 72 hours, the State will be entering a difficult period.

“Water is rising, dams are set to be opened in the next few days. By this time last year, the level of the water was 8.1m, but with the planned release of water tonight, our State will be overrun.

“We are opening 42 IDP camps across eight LGAs, Ibaji as we speak is not having camp as planned because the area is already 96% overrun by water.

”Already five communities in Ibaji are already submerged. In Idah already, some communities are already affected with people asked to move to upper ground.

“We are using this medium to call on citizens residing in flood-prone areas to move to upper ground, as we are no longer safe in Kogi with the planned release of water from dams,” he stated.

The KOSEMA Executive Secretary, however, assured that the State Government was not resting on it oars as it was working round the clock to mitigate the impact of the floods.