Seven dead in boat mishaps as floods hit Niger

The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) has reported that seven people have lost their lives in boat mishaps in Mokwa and Mashegu local government areas since the start of the 2024 wet season.

Director General of NSEMA, Hon. Abdullahi Baba Arah, made this known at the 12th Annual Stakeholders Sensitization and Awareness Workshop in Minna.

According to Baba Arah, five people died in a boat accident in Mokwa, while two others lost their lives in another incident in Mashegu.

He also noted that many farmers in several council areas, including Shiroro, Edati, Rafi, Munya, Paikoro, and Wushishi, have been battling flood-related issues since the beginning of the rainy season.

The NSEMA boss disclosed that some farmlands in the affected areas have reported cases of farm produce worth millions of naira being destroyed or washed away by floods.

He assured that the agency is working with relevant organizations, including NEMA, NiMet, and Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA), to minimize human and material losses due to flooding.

Baba Arah urged residents living in low-lying areas and near riverbanks to relocate to higher grounds before the floods cause damage.

He also advised those engaged in activities like farming and fishing near riverbanks to cease such activities for the time being.

Meanwhile, a Deputy Director with NIHSA, Engr. John Gbadegesin, emphasized the need for people living in riverbank communities to move away from the riverbanks to protect their lives and properties.

He advised clearing drainages and waterways to prevent blockages and allow water to flow freely.

Gbadegesin said, “this year, by the forecast by the Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency ( NIHSA) that this year, the communities that are on the banks of River Niger and River Kaduna and especially within Niger State, they may face the likelihood of flooding in this particular year”

He however explained, ”That be that as it may, that in the era of Climate change especially as far as forecast is concerned, no one can tell the magnitude of the flood disasters for now, emphasizing that the agency will keep on updating the communities as things unfold so that they will know that flood is here so as to inform them ahead”.

The North-South Power Company Ltd has begun sensitization and awareness on flooding for host communities and dwellers around the upstream and downstream of the Shiroro hydroelectric power plant. The company’s Vice Chairman and CEO, Engr. Olubunmi Peters said the forum aims to educate communities on environmental hazards occasioned by flood disasters and ways to reduce devastating damages.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE