Rabiu Omaku
No fewer than two people were confirmed dead in the recent flood disaster that displaced no fewer than 18 communities along the banks of the Benue River.
The Nasarawa State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism said this during a press briefing at his office.
He however, disclosed that over 5,000 people were displaced, as he called on them to go to an upland for safety.
The Commissioner Honorable Nawaki Aboki opined that thousands of residents have been displaced following devastating floods that swept through 18 communities in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
He however said the flood which was as a result of over flow from Lagdo Dam from Cameroun Republic destroying homes, farmlands and other sources of livelihood.
The disaster has left many affected families seeking refuge with relatives in neighbouring towns, while others have taken shelter on higher ground to escape the rising floodwaters, raising concerns over the humanitarian situation in the affected communities.
The Nasarawa State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Nawani Aboki attributing the flooding to the release of excess water from the Lagdo Dam in neighbouring Cameroon.
Aboki said the state Government had deployed its humanitarian agency to the affected communities and was compiling a comprehensive report on the extent of the damage to guide its response and determine the necessary interventions.
He assured the victims that the State Government would provide relief materials and other forms of assistance to cushion the effects of the disaster once the assessment report had been submitted.
According to the commissioner, the flooding destroyed houses, crops, farmlands, properties, livestock and economic trees, leaving several families struggling to cope with the losses.
He added that displaced residents had taken refuge on higher ground in places including Agyema and Akpanaja, among other locations, to avoid further danger.
The commissioner urged residents of the affected communities not to return to their homes prematurely, advising them to wait until it was confirmed that no further water releases from the Lagdo Dam posed a threat to their safety.
He also called on people living in flood-prone and low-lying areas across the state to relocate to safer, higher ground, stressing that public cooperation was essential to preventing further loss of lives and property.
“People must leave those low-lying areas and move to higher land. Anytime there is flooding, people are always affected,” Aboki said, urging residents to take Government warnings seriously.
He further advised residents to heed early warnings and safety advisories issued by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) to reduce the risks associated with seasonal flooding.
The Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Nawaki Aboki has called on the people of Nasarawa state to register online ahead of 2027 General election.
He however called on those that has register to go to any office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office for their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) added that PVC remain the tools for the change of Government.
