No fewer than 1,664 persons have been displaced as flood sacked four communities in the Gada Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

A statement signed and made available to newsmen in the state on Sunday by the Information Officer, Sokoto Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Ghani, said the flood was due to a recent downpour in the area.

He said the flood, apart from the high number of displaced persons, also destroyed about 779 hectares of farmland in the process.

Some of the affected communities ravaged by the flood included Dantudu, Balakozo, Gidan Tudu and Tsitse towns, among others.

According to the report compiled at Dan Tudu village, 62 houses and 71 households were affected.

At Balakozo Village (Tsitse ward), 33 houses and 48 households were affected, while a total of 38 houses and 52 households were affected at Gidan Tudu Village.

At Tsitse town, a total of 68 houses and 89 households were affected.

“The recent downpour of 17th July 2024 left many residents of Gada Local Government Area of Sokoto State homeless and displaced.

“It also destroyed several numbers of hectares of farmlands and destroyed a high number of sheep and goats.

“This was discovered during an assessment conducted on Saturday at Gada by NEMA and SEMA officials in the state.

“The total number of people affected by the flood incidence at Dan Tudu, Balakozo, Gidan Tudu and Tsitse town is 1,664,” the report stated.

It added that the assessment team found that some numbers of livestock, including sheep and goats, were reportedly missing due to the downpour.

Meanwhile, NEMA’s Director General, Mrs Zubaida Umar, has said proper waste disposal and flood preparedness are crucial for community well-being and environmental health.

The NEMA DG, represented by the agency’s Head of Operations, Ekiti and Ondo states, Mr Kofoworola Sholeye, said improper waste disposal could trigger flood disasters and had adverse health consequences leading to significant damage to property and loss of lives.

Umar spoke in Ado Ekiti on Friday, during a one-day awareness campaign and roadshow organised by the NEMA, in collaboration with the Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency, government agencies and relevant stakeholders.

“This initiative is to sensitise and create awareness among Ekiti people about the expected heavy rainfalls predicted by the Seasonal Climate Predictions, Nigerian Meteorological Agency and the Annual Flood Outlook, which listed Ekiti among the states that would likely experience heavy rainfall and potential flooding this year,” Umar said.

The NEMA boss said flooding and the attendant losses could be mitigated “if all stakeholders stand up to the challenges and come up with the measures that would help to enlighten the people of Ekiti State on proper waste management, as many have cultivated the habit of indiscriminate dumping of refuse over the years.

“It is necessary to always promote and carry out activities that would safeguard our environment by ensuring the rapid enlightenment of the general public on the need to desist from dumping refuse indiscriminately.”

Umar lauded the commitment of Ekiti SEMA and other disaster management agencies in the state as she assured of NEMA’s willingness to sustain the synergy with the state government to explore long-term and more sustainable solutions to both natural and human-induced disasters.

The Permanent Secretary, Office of the Deputy Governor, Mr Abayomi Opeyemi, urged Ekiti residents to adhere to the state environmental laws by avoiding indiscriminate dumping of waste and erecting structures on river banks and flood plains

Also, the General Manager of SEMA, Mr Oludare Asaolu, appreciated NEMA for the initiatives and collaborative efforts to avert flooding and the attendant destruction of lives and properties in the state.

Asaolu lauded Governor Biodun Oyebanji for approving funds for the dredging of waterways in high-risk zones across the state, to prevent flooding and its attendant risks to lives and properties even before the NiMET weather forecasts.

The Director General of Ekiti State Waste Management Board, Mr Olasunkami Onipede, urged residents to properly dispose of their waste at all times, saying the state government had placed Dino bins at strategic locations in the state capital for easy disposal and collection of waste.