By Edwin Philip, Lafia
The Nasarawa State Government has urged residents of flood-prone communities to heed evacuation warnings and move to higher ground following flooding that submerged 18 communities in the Doma Local Government Area, killing two people and displacing several others.
The Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Nawani Aboki, made the appeal on Monday while briefing journalists in Lafia on the impact of the disaster in the affected communities.
Aboki said Governor Abdullahi Sule had directed the Director-General of the Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency to visit the affected communities to assess the damage and determine the necessary interventions.
He said the government was working towards providing assistance to residents affected by the disaster.
“We are hoping that anytime this week concrete actions will be taken by government. Yesterday, when I was returning, I was there with the chairman of the local government to sympathise with the people and condole with them,” the commissioner said.
According to him, two people have died as a result of the flooding, while several others have been displaced. Buildings and farmlands were also reportedly destroyed.
Describing the incident as massive flooding, Aboki said residents had been advised against returning to their homes until the floodwaters receded.
“It is not just normal flooding, but massive flooding that took place. We are hoping that the flooding will end and the waters dry up so that people can resume their normal activities,” he said.
“But we have asked them not to go back yet. Let them wait until we see the water actually receding back to the River Benue. We are not sure if more water will be coming in from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon; it will even be worse than it is currently,” he added.
The commissioner said the government was also prepared to provide support and relief supplies to affected residents to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks following the flooding.
He explained that several smaller communities were clustered within larger settlements, complicating efforts to assess the full extent of the damage and the number of people affected.
Aboki cited Agyma, where more than eight communities were reportedly affected, and Rukubi and Akpanaja, where several communities were also said to be experiencing the impact of the flooding.
The government urged residents in vulnerable areas to prioritise their safety and remain in safer locations until the floodwaters had sufficiently receded.
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