Niger State Government has raised the alarm that no fewer than about 11 local government areas of the state have been affected by flood disasters so far as a result of the heavy downpours in parts of the state in recent times.
The government stated this while speaking through the Acting Director General, Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) Mallam Garba Salihu over the weekend in Minna in an interactive session with the newsmen.
He stated further that these local governments are Mokwa, Lavun, Edati, Lapai, Gbako, Bosso, Chanchaga, Rijau and Agaie respectively adding that these are the 11 Council Areas that have reported the incidences of flood disaster activities of varying degrees.
The NSEMA boss added that that in some of these local governments, houses have been submerged and in some of them, farmlands have been washed away as a result of these flood incidents.
“We have had communities that have been displaced as a result of these activities, namely Mokwa local government areas, we have about four to five communities that have been displaced as a result of the floods incidents, stressing that the Agency has had two local governments that have reported incidents of violent windstorms which usually come with rainfall activities.
“In fact, we have such an incident in Kontagora LGA. In Kontagora, a very violent windstorm claimed the life of a child in Rafin Gora, and in Mariga LGA, some communities were also affected as a result of these violent Windstorms whereby roofs of buildings were blown off and some of the buildings gave way because of this windstorms.”
These communities, according to him include Kasuwa Garba, Shaded and Marisa within Mariga LGA of the state, emphasising that in mitigating the effects of the floods one has to save lives first.
He noted that in the beginning of the wet season this year, NIMET had even predicted that there was going to be heavy rainfalls that were going to come in three phases adding that Niger State had experienced the first phase while the state was currently on the second phase highlighting that the last phase would be in September or October and November period.
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