Flood Washes up Corpses in Kogi, Wreaks Havoc in Kwara as Agency Warns

Corpses have been washed up from their various graves following severe flooding of parts of Kogi State. Specifically, many graves in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State have been dug out by flood, exhuming human remains buried in them.

Also in Ilorin, Kwara State, property worth millions of naira have been lost to flood caused by heavy downpour that lasted from Thursday night to early yesterday in some parts of the Ilorin metropolis.

This is as the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NHSA) has revealed that all indices which played out in the infamous 2012 flood disaster were manifesting and warned that nine states on the banks of River Niger and three others on the River Benue should expect severe flooding soonest.

THISDAY on Friday reliably gathered that heavy downpour which lasted from 3p.m. on Thursday till late on Friday led to the Ofu River bursting its banks and flooding communities, submerging houses, opening graves and littering the communities with corpses.

Some of the affected victims disclosed to our correspondent that the flood destroyed the only road linking Ugwolawo to Obagu and other suburbs of local government.

According to them, the road is no longer accessible as a result of the massive volume of water flowing from Oda area cut the major road from Idah to Anyigba as it entered adjoining houses and submerged them with properties destroy and washed away tomb of the dead into Ofu River.

They lamented that amongst the bodies washed away from their graves include Pa David Akogu, and his two sons Omale, and Akebe who died over 20 and 30 years .

However, as the flood opened the grave of Late Mama Omaji Idachaba, and was carrying the corpse into the Ofu River, youths of the area mobilised and rescued it out of the flood, repackaged and took it to Idah her ancestral home for reburial.

Some of the areas affected by the Ilorin flood include Harmony Estate, Akerebiata, Gerin Alimi, Isale Koko, and Kulende among other parts of the metropolis where the flood swept many vehicles, several metres away, from where they were parked in some.

Meanwhile, Kwara State Government has advised residents of the state living along banks of River Niger to immediately relocate to safer areas to avoid loss of lives and property that could result from impending flooding.

The State Commissioner for Environment and Forestry, Mr. Amos Sayo Justus, who gave the piece of advice on Friday, said the directive followed the alert of looming flooding issued by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NiHSA).

Meanwhile, the federal government through the Director, Engineering Hydrology, NHSA, Mr. Clement Nze, disclosed that the height of River Niger in Lokoja, was at 10.1 as against the 9.74 in 2012 and, it was rising every hour due to the opening of the dams.

“The under listed states are going to witness flooding due to this indices and states are Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Edo, Kogi, Anambra, Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states from the River Niger axis and Taraba, Benue and Adamawa from the River Benue axis,” he stated.