Niger Govt Battles Flooding As Over 500 Communities Are Submerged

The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) has said over 530 communities in 19 local government areas of the state have been flooded since last week with hundreds of residents becoming refugees.

This was disclosed to THE WHISTLER on Saturday by Ibrahim Hussain, spokesman for NSEMA, who stated that the state government had already activated the emergency operations centre to deal with the tragedy.

He said the state government was doing everything to provide relief materials to those affected.

“We have 19 local governments affected in the state, with over 530 communities including Mokwa communities”, he told THE WHISTLER on telephone
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Abdullahi Jibrin Muregi, the Chairman of Mokwa LG, corroborated NSEMA, revealing that over 300 communities were submerged by flood in his LG.

“Yes, it is true. We are trying our best in that direction to get them to safer areas. Well, in the entire local government over 300 communities were submerged”, he said to this reporter.

On Thursday, flooding in Kpashafu, a village in Mokwa destroyed farmlands, houses and displaced residents.

THE WHISTLER learnt that the locals from the community are now refugees in neighbouring villages in Kwara State.

Usman Mohammed Kpashafu, a resident of the community, several houses collapsed after the downpour on Thursday.

“I’m inside my room and on top of the flood, using a canoe as we are speaking now. We relocated women to safer places”, he said.

“All the residents of the communities have been displaced. Water surrounds the village. We are closer to Kwara. So, our people go there when it floods”. The residents don’t buy the idea of relocating to Kwara.”

Niger Govt Battles Flooding As Over 500 Communities Are Submerged is first published on The Whistler Newspaper