Edo, Four Others under Flood Threat, Agency Warns

Edo, Four Others under Flood Threat, Agency Warns

Udora Orizu in Abuja

The Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), has warned of severe flooding in Edo, Delta, Anambra, Rivers and Bayelsa States.

The agency said the river flooding that occurred in Adamawa, Taraba, Benue and Kogi states would find its way through the aforementioned states before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Director General, NIHSA, Clement Nze, while addressing journalists in Abuja, appealed to communities within the River Niger area to relocate to avoid devastating effects.

“The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, wishes to advise that the following states downstream Kogi State, namely; Edo, Delta, Anambra, Rivers and Bayelsa states should therefore be on red alert. The river flooding that occurred in Adamawa, Taraba, Benue and Kogi states will still find its way through these states before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. These states should identify the communities that are bordering River Niger and make adequate plans for timely evacuation of people to safe and higher grounds in the event of flooding.

“Meanwhile, both Kainji and Jebba Dams on River Niger are still excess water downstream. This invariably has contributed to the rising level of the River Niger in Lokoja. In the western part of the country, release of excess water aimed at safeguarding the Oyam Dam structure, has resulted to massive flooding incidents in several part of Lagos and Ogun.

“Usually, the months of July, August and September known as (JAS months) are the peak of flooding period in Nigeria. “Accordingly, it was expected that by mid-October, flooding incidents should have abetted in the far north and central states of the country, as rainfall amounts ought to have begun to cease southwards,” he said.

He blamed the Cameroonian authorities for releasing water from the Lagdo Dam, which significantly contributed to the current flooding ravaging the country, adding that the nonexistence of a dam within the Nigerian portion of the Benue sub-basin makes Nigeria vulnerable in the event of sudden release of water from Lagdo Dam.

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