At least, 18 people died while 41,959 others were displaced during flood disaster in Niger State.

The Director-General (DG), Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Alhaji Ahmed Inga, disclosed this yesterday in a statement in Minna after the agency conducted a rapid assessment of the 2019 flood disaster.

NSEMA conducted the assessment in conjunction with the affected Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC).

Inga said that the flood disaster also affected 20 local government areas, 516 communities and submerged 152 communities, while 2,714 houses were destroyed and 41,959 persons were displaced.

The DG listed the affected areas to include Mokwa, Lapai, Lavun, Borgu, Shiroro, Katcha, Kotangora, Mashegu, Gurara, Suleja, Gbako, Chanchaga, Bosso, Agaie, Agwara, Rafi, Munya, Edati, Paikoro and Wushishi local government areas.

Inga explained that the flood, which began in August as a result of a localised high intensity rainfall accompanied by torrential winds, triggered massive run off activities in streams, rivers and drainage in urban and rural areas.

He said: “The flood killed five people in Ketso community, a child in Kontagora town and a seven-year-old Khadijat Aliyu in Fadipe areas of the state.

“Also, a father and his three sons lost their lives in Edati, three primary pupils in Gurara, three children in Yuna village of Borgu local government areas of the state.”

The DG added that farmlands were destroyed as well as roads, bridges and culverts during the flood disaster.

He said that the combine effect of the micro-climate trend and severe rainfall regime upstream of River Niger and Kaduna increased inflow in the basin, which resulted in the spillage of the water from the three hydropower dams. (Text excluding headline courtesy of New Telegraph)

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