From: Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
- Over 90,000 people have been displaced with property worth millions of Naira destroyed following torrential rainfall which started since last Saturday night, which has left many areas of Makurdi, the Benue State capital flooded.
- Areas worse hit by the flood included Media Village, Achusa, Welfare Quarters Extension, Nyiman Layout, Wadata, Wurukum and Naka Road among others.
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Daily Sun gathered that although no life was lost, yet some buildings collapsed while major roads have also been submerged in water even as residents wade through the flood to safety.
A resident of Achusa community, Emmanuel Agbo told our correspondent that the rain started at about 12:45am and lasted till around 5am Wednesday. - “At about 2am of the heavy downpour, I noticed water surging through the main door of my house and before long, every room in the house was flooded. At a point, I became so afraid because when I looked outside to see how I could move my family to safety, all I saw was water everywhere.”
- At the time of filing this report, many affected residents were seen either trying to battle their way out of the flooded areas or stranded with their belongings around town.
Speaking in a telephone chat with our correspondent, Executive Secretary of Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Boniface Ortese who disclosed that over 90,000 persons had been displaced in 26 areas of the metropolis said Governor Samuel Ortom was already going round some of the affected areas to ascertain the level of destruction.
- He listed the areas to be visited by the Governor to include Mobil Oil along Kanshio new layout where a bridge had collapsed thus cutting off a section of the area from other part of the metropolis, Achusa/ Adeke road, BIPC/ Idye area and Wurukum Market.
- Ortese said as at Wednesday morning, 26 areas whive have been affected by the flood in Makurdi are Achusa, Idye, welfare quarters, mobile barracks, new Kanshio layout, Wadata market, Wurukum market, Gyado villa, Kutcha Utebe, breweries quarters.
- Others were Nyiman layout, behind Civil Service Commission, Radio Benue, industrial layout, BIPC quarters, Uniagric road, Katingu area north bank, Genabe, behind officon area, Uniagric study center, behind GTbank, Wadata old prison. Agboughul Wadata, and Demekpe area.The SEMA boss assured that by the end of the Governor’s assessment tour of some of the affected areas, areas designated as displaced persons camps would be announced to temporarily accommodate those who are stranded.It would be recalled in 2012, many areas of Makurdi was flooded for weeks following torrential rainfall and the opening of the Ladgo Dam in Cameroun.