The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has alerted Nigerians to expect more flooding in nine States due to the sudden release of water from Lagdo dam in the Republic of Cameroon.
The affected states are Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta and Bayelsa.
Director General of NEMA, Mr Mustapha Ahmed said on Sunday in Abuja that the nine affected states with communities spread along the banks of River Benue may be affected by the water release.
He noted that the flooding is expected to last till the end of October, adding that water released from the dam had led to the displacement of several inhabitants of the affected communities.
Ahmed informed that NEMA was alerted on sudden increased inundation of riverine communities and farmlands along the banks of River Niger in Adamawa, Taraba and Benue states in the past 48 hours.
He stated that crops, lands and valuable infrastructure are at risk of getting washed away by the flood waters, saying that situation reports from Adamawa state confirmed the upsurge of flood waters along the flood plains of River Benue.
“The situation is expected to be replicated in downstream states of Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta and Bayelsa, as the River Benue joins River Niger and flows to the Atlantic Ocean through the Niger Delta,” he added.
The director general warned states and local government areas along River Niger and Benue Basins to immediately activate their emergency response plans to avert potential damage and losses that could arise due to the flooding of communities.
Ahmed disclosed that so far, 159,157 persons were affected by this year’s flooding, as 28 persons lost their lives and 48,168 individuals displaced in 13 states across the country.
He hinted that the agency would continue to provide further updates as it receives more situation reports from the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) as well as frontline states’ emergency management agencies.
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