The water levels of the nation’s two biggest rivers –Niger and Benue –have now reached a more dangerous point which requires that those still living or working close to the banks must relocate immediately, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) warned yesterday.

The agency’s Director General, Umar Mohammed, said in Abuja that the two rivers had reached the “red mark” owing to the inflow of floods from different parts of the country.

Benue State which takes its name from the Benue and through which the river flows to link the Niger in Lokoja, specifically warned residents  living within a one-kilometer radius of the riverbanks to relocate immediately, in light of an impending flood disaster.

The Kebbi State Government confirmed  that it has already lost at least 29 of its population, 321,000 houses and thousands of hectares of  farmlands to floods in 16 of its  21 local government areas.

It appealed for urgent assistance from the federal government.

A similar appeal for federal government’s aid came from Governor  Ahmed Aliyu of neighbouring Sokoto State, especially for  flood victims in Tangaza and Illela local government areas of the state.

NIHSA Director General Mohammed urged Nigerians to take flood warnings seriously against the background of prolonged rainfall across the nation.

Mohammed stressed the importance of maintaining clear drainage systems and ensuring that water runoff paths are unobstructed.

He urged citizens to clear their gutters and drainages to help mitigate the impact of flooding.

But he said his agency  “ remains committed to monitoring the water levels of major rivers and tributaries across the country, issuing timely flood warnings and predictions.”

He also said NIHSA was collaborating with emergency response agencies and the media to save lives and protect property, noting the need for a collective effort to reduce the effects of floods.

NIHSA’s 2024 Annual Flood Outlook reveals that 148 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across 31 states are at high risk of flooding.

These include Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Kebbi.

The rest are Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, and Yobe.

Benue residents urged to relocate

The Executive Secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (Benue-SEMA) James Iorpuu said critical weather updates from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) points to a high likelihood of severe flooding across the state.

He listed areas most at risk as Udoma, Ugbokpo, Ukgbokolo, Ukpiam, Otobi, Otukpo, Mbapa, Makurdi, Gbajimba, Logo, and Abinsi.

He emphasised the need for immediate action and asked residents to relocate as a precautionary measure.

He advised those at high risk of being affected to move to designated camps in Kanshio for Makurdi residents; residents of  Judges Quarters, behind Hotel Lucia, and near BSU are advised to move to the Makurdi International School on George Akume Road;while residents of Kucha Utebe, Brewery, Gyado Villa, Mu, and Wurukum should move to LGEA Primary School Wurukum (popularly known as Suswam Thank You).

Those in Rice Mill, Agboughul, Tionsha, and Wadata should relocate to NKST Primary School Wadata, while residents in North Bank should move to St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School.

For Abinsi, LGEA Primary School Abinsi is the designated camp, and those in Gbajimba are urged to relocate to Government Secondary School Gbajimba.

Residents in Otukpo should move to St. Francis Otukpo, while those in Agatu should head to Oweto.People in Ogbokolo, Ogbokpo, Mbapa, and Uikpiam are advised to seek safer grounds close to them, where they can be accessed by Benue-SEMA.

Flood claims 29, destroys 321,000 houses in Kebbi

Kebbi State Information Commissioner, Yakubu Ahmed, told reporters yesterday in Birnin Kebbi that the state is now at risk of food shortage except immediate aid comes from the federal government and others.

He said thousands of hectares of rice, maize guinea corn and other crop farmlands have been destroyed by the floods.

He said: “only five out of the 16 local governments of the state are minimally affected. The flood has destroyed farmlands, bridges and thousands of households.

“On the number of deaths, we had lost seven persons in Shanga, eight in Maiyama, five in Kalgo, seven in Jega and two in Birnin Kebbi so far.”

Gov. Aliyu too

Gov. Aliyu who recently visited Tangaza and Illela LGAs to assess the situation said: “the destruction caused by this flood is so severe that it destroyed hundreds of houses and farmlands, rendering hundreds of people homeless.

“It also destroyed several farmlands resulting in food shortage in the affected communities.

“I’m appealing to our father, a President with a listening ear, to assist these two LGAs so that they can heave a sigh of relief from this terrible situation they found themselves.”

The two LGAs,according to him  “may face severe food shortage and economic dire socio-economic crises because of the magnitude of this flooding.”

Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Commissioner Ibrahim Adare told reporters at the end of a meeting of the state executive council that  government has  earmarked  N1.1 billion for the procurement of motorised boats, life jackets and relief materials for distribution to victims across 22 LGs affected by floods and boat accidents.

Adare said the purchase of the boats and life jackets was sequel to report submitted by a committee set up on flooding in the state.

Adare said the sum of N565.2 million for the procurement of 12,376 bags of 25kg bags of rice for distribution to the poor and vulnerable in the state was also being approved by the state government.

NEDC seeks synergy with engineers to rehabilitate Northeast bridges

The North East Development Commission (NEDC), is seeking the collaboration of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) in the rehabilitation of bridges and roads affected by floods in the sub-region.

Speaking at an emergency meeting with the engineers in Maiduguri yesterday, the Managing Director, NEDC, Mr Mohammed Alkali, whose team went round for an inspection tour of the six states raised concern over the destruction of bridges and roads in the region.

He said: “NSE is the right body to work with as far as the issue of affected bridges and roads are concerned.

“The commission has visited all the six states; in Taraba I know of two bridges that collapsed completely,  in Adamawa we have more than five, in Yobe about three, same in Bauchi and Gombe with Maiduguri as the climax,” Alkali said.

He asked  the NSE for a quick assessment of the destruction to ascertain the cost of repairs in view of the vital role of the bridges to socioeconomic development of the affected states.

Speaking on behalf of the engineers, the Borno branch Chairman of NSE, Mr Mohammed Shettima, said the state branch had constituted a 32-member committee immediately after the incident.

The committee, according to him, comprises experts in various sectors of engineering.

Shettima said that for the engineers to fast track action on the issue, there was a need for NEDC to provide a letter of intent or engagement and a detailed brief of terms of reference.

The worst flooding yet this year in Nigeria is that of Borno State which submerged about 70 per cent of the state capital,Maiduguri and claimed many lives and destroyed houses and farmlands.