One person has been confirmed dead, with over 300 farmlands and crops destroyed following severe flooding in Nasarawa, Kokona and Doma Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State.

The Director General of the Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency, Benjamin Akwash, disclosed this during a press briefing on Saturday in Lafia after an assessment of the affected areas.

Akwash noted that the agency had been carrying out sensitization campaigns in flood-prone communities and engaging stakeholders on the need to adopt safety measures and comply with weather forecasts issued by relevant authorities.

He, however, expressed concern that many residents in high-risk areas were reluctant to relocate despite repeated warnings.

“People are finding it difficult to move to safer grounds. They prefer to remain on their ancestral lands despite repeated alerts from authorities. This is unacceptable. We cannot continue to play laxity with human lives, there must be a way out,” he said.

Akwash revealed that the state government had been working on sustainable flood prevention strategies to curb the annual disasters, rather than focusing solely on post-disaster relief efforts.

He further disclosed that a detailed assessment of the devastation is currently ongoing in Nasarawa, Kokona, and Doma Local Government Areas, where the disaster destroyed hundreds of hectares of farmlands and claimed one life.

“This is a major setback in our drive to achieve food security and sufficiency. Preliminary reports show that more than 300 farmlands with crops have been completely washed away,” he added.

The NASEMA Director General also announced that the state government had concluded plans to distribute food and non-food relief materials to flood victims and other disaster-affected communities.

He, however, urged residents in riverine areas, particularly those in the five most vulnerable Local Government Areas of Doma, Nasarawa, Toto, Awe, and Kokona to relocate to safer locations in order to protect their lives and property as the rainy season continues to intensify. (The PUNCH)