The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has advised residents living near riverbanks along the River Benue Basin to relocate to safer areas immediately.
In a statement issued yesterday, NIHSA’s Director-General, Umar Mohammed, warned that the water level in the River Benue has reached a critical point due to increased rainfall. He also urged those living near the River Niger to evacuate, noting that the management of the Kainji and Jebba Dams is actively working to regulate the floodwaters.
Mohammed called on Nigerians to cooperate with emergency management agencies and collaborate to build resilience against flooding, aiming to reduce its impact nationwide.
This comes after the government advised citizens to move to safer grounds following the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
Earlier, the overflowing Alau Dam led to a disaster in Maiduguri, Borno State, where over 30 people lost their lives and thousands of homes were destroyed.
In 2022, severe flooding affected many states, claiming 665 lives, displacing 2,437,411 individuals, and impacting 4,476,867 people, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The year 2023 saw more devastating floods, with 159,157 affected individuals, 28 lives lost, and 48,168 people displaced. The release of water from the Lagdo Dam was a contributing factor.
For 2024, NEMA reported that between April and September, flooding impacted 1,048,312 people, displaced 625,239 individuals, and resulted in 259 deaths.
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