Residents Count Losses As Flood Hits Imo Community

Unprecedented flood has ravaged about 17 communities in Abacheke area of Egbema in Ohaji/Egbema LGA of Imo State.

This is even as electricity supply has been cut off as people grapple with shortages of food supplies, while livestock have drowned in their numbers.

Ohaji-Egbema is considered the food basket of the state where several farm produces are produced in large quantities.

Traditional ruler of Abacheke community, Eze Ikeji Ifeanyi Bright said the flood which had displaced over 3,000 people was caused by heavy downpour and overflow of the banks of River Niger tributaries. He said the people had lost their sources of livelihood and called for support.

Already, the state head of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Ifeanyi Nnaji and his team have assessed the damage. According to him, findings from the assessment revealed a monumental flood covering about 15 communities which dislodged about 3,000 people.

Nnaji said many people had moved to join relatives, others moved to other villages, and several others had taken shelter in schools, churches, markets, cultivated farmlands, fishing facilities, while interlinking access roads and residential homes have been severely damaged as most buildings were totally submerged by the flood.

Nnaji sympathized with the Eze and the entire affected communities for the losses and called on the people to move to higher and safer grounds for safety pending when the water receded. He said they should harvest their remaining crops as the volume of water would likely increase from the assessment of the rains.