Flood destroys 50,000 houses in Kogi

The Kogi State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, has said that at least 50,000 have been affected by the flood ravaging some communities in the state.

Osikoya, said yesterday that over 6,000 houses were affected in Lokoja alone, adding that 78 of the affected houses in Lokoja were completely destroyed.

The commissioner identified other areas affected by flood to include Igalamela/Odolu, Ibaji, Idah and Bassa, among others.

She said collations were still on-going to ascertain the number of people as well as other houses that must have been affected in the disaster.

The commissioner urged those who are still living in flood prone areas to relocate immediately to higher ground to avoid loss of lives and property.

“Some of the people have refused to move because they said flood is seasonal and would come and go, but we want to kindly plead with everybody to move out of the water area,” she said.

She said officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) have arrived the state from Abuja, to ascertain the level of devastation caused by the flood.