Flood Sacks 100 Communities in Niger, Says Gov

By Laleye Dipo in Minna

Not less than 100 communities in six local government areas of Niger State have been submerged by flood since the beginning of this year’s rainy season.

It was also said that thousands of people had been rendered homeless in Mokwa, Lapai, Agaie Katcha, Edati and Lavun Local Government Areas as a result of the disaster.

The state Governor Abubakar Sani Bello was reported by his Chief Press Secretary Jibrin Ndace to have made this known after carrying out an aerial inspection of the affected communities.

The governor, according to a statement, also disclosed that “a number of people have died as a result of the incident”.

According to the governor, apart from the heavy rain water, tributaries of Rivers Kaduna and Niger caused the flood.

Governor Bello, who was said to be speaking in Muye town in Lapai Local Government Area after conducting the aerial inspection of the affected communities, declared that: “The situation has gone beyond the capacity of the state” and called for federal government’s intervention.

“What I saw today is very devastating. On a rough estimate, more than a 100 communities have been submerged in water and it doesn’t appear that the water is receding. That we have not seen the end of it is very disturbing. The situation is definitely getting out of hand and it is beyond what the state can do,” he said.

Bello stated that the state government on its part would ensure the provision of relief materials and the relocation of the victims from the areas.

“This flood starts all the way from Kede, towards Muregi down to Muye along the river bank. So definitely at this point, we will have to seek for the support of the federal government and that is exactly what we are going to do.

“The first step taken by the state government is to send some relief materials to the affected communities because I strongly believe they will lack food at this time and the final step and probably the lasting solution is to relocate them at some point but now we have to take care of their immediate needs with regards to food and drugs,” the governor declared.

The governor had recently directed the release of N60 million for the provision of relief materials for flood victims in the state.