Solomon Ayado, Lafia
More than two hundred and fifty thousand people have been displaced by floods which have ravaged several communities in Nasarawa State, said the Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency (NASEMA), Zakari Alumaga, on Thursday.
Alumaga, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview in Lafia, said five Local Government Areas have so far been badly affected by the flood.
According to him, the LGAs flooded are Awe, Nasarawa, Doma, Lafia and Toto respectively. He also named Nasarawa Eggon, Wamba and Akwanga as major flashpoints.
Alumaga further stated that of the 250,000 IDPs, there are 150,000 displaced persons in Nasarawa LGA alone while the remaining flooded LGAs have more than 100,000 IDPs.
On the level of damage, he described the destruction as massive but however, said no death was recorded by the flood.
‘Specifically, five Local Governments were affected by the flood this year and then three flashpoints. The Local Governments are Awe, Lafia, Nasarawa, Doma and Toto. These Local Governments border river Benue and if the water level has risen, it will take over the communities, and we were told this is going to happen this year.
‘I am aware that putting all together in the five flooded Local Governments, about two hundred and fifty thousand persons were displaced. There is no death.
‘But the extent of the damage I have consistently refused to give and my reasons are simple, for instance in Nasarawa as we speak, the water level is still very high so we cannot know the kind of damage over the water.
‘The State Government in apparent reaction, the governor went to Ara and Toto and gave relief materials and then the agency itself, we have also gone there to do our own part.
‘Apart from food and non-food items, we have given canoes and boats to the people in case of any eventuality they can be able to evacuate persons. And then we gave life jackets as well,’ Alumaga stated.