Flood sacks 60 communities in Niger

About 60 communities in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State along the plains of River Niger and its tributaries have been sacked by flood. According to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), the breakdown of the figure shows that 34 communities were affected by the flood in Jagi ward, 11 at Moregi ward and 15 in Gbara respectively.

The latest incident brings the number of communities reportedly sacked by flood to 83 with 23 earlier affected in Lapai Local Government Area. The Lapai incident claimed four lives.

Daily Trust on Sunday learnt that communities in Shiroro, Muyan, Gurara and Bida, Lavun, Wushishi, Mokwa and Borgu local government areas were also affected by the flood.

Our correspondent reports that Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, who was to visit to the affected communities on Thursday, had to terminate the journey at Guza, as it was impossible to travel through the area.

The governor had to address representatives of the communities at Guza, where he also directed the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) to facilitate relief materials to the people and also ensure their temporary resettlement.

The spokesman of Ketso, one of the communities affected by the flood, Hassan Umar, assured the governor of the peoples’ cooperation.

Umar said the communities would have long relocated to avoid the recurring danger posed by the rampaging flood but were constrained by issues relating to land documentation among others.