A destructive flood triggered by the release of water from Kiri Dam in Shelleng Local Government Area of Adamawa State has displaced thousands of residents across five communities in neighbouring Numan LGA.
Numan residents view the development as a sad irony because the same Kiri Dam provides the water which irrigates the expansive Dangote Sugar Refinery located in Numan.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Yola Operations Office, and the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA) threw light on the flood when they conducted an on-the-spot assessment to evaluate the scale of the disaster for relief intervention.
The assessment team, led by ADSEMA’s Director of Planning and Statistics, Mr. Mohammed Yaji, and NEMA’s Press and Public Relations Officer, Mr. Hafeez Bello, confirmed that the flood inundated Imburu, Zangun, Lure, Kwakwambe, and Ngabalang communities.
They noted that the deluge submerged numerous homes, destroyed vast hectares of farmlands, claimed one life, and sent thousands of residents out of their homes.
“The scale of destruction is heartbreaking,” Mr. Yaji said, adding, “Immediate provision of shelter, food, and non-food relief items is critical to alleviate the suffering of the affected population.”
