The National Emergency Management Agency said it has deployed a team to monitor Rivers Benue and River Niger following the release of water from Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
NEMA Spokesperson, Manzo Ezekiel, said on Sunday that “we are monitoring the level of the water along the River Benue, and the Director General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, has already deployed staff to the states along the river bank, so we are monitoring the situation as it is at all the river system. Our monitoring system is on River Benue and River Niger.
“The staff are there monitoring the situation, and relating with the people in communities along these river belts, to be careful. The water has been rising, but we are still monitoring the situation. It’s better to be prepared than to be taken unawares.”
Ezekiel noted that some communities had already been affected by the water released from the Lagdo Dam.
“Since the release of the water, we have seen how some communities were affected along the river in Adamawa and Taraba. This year, the level of monitoring and awareness of the flood system is higher than what it used to be in the previous year,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has predicted five days of heavy rainfall, which may lead to flooding in 15 States.
The flood prediction, obtained on Sunday from the National Flood Early Warning Systems Centre of the Federal Ministry of Environment, also urged stakeholders to take note.
The centre indicated that the identified locations and their environs are likely to witness heavy rainfall that may lead to flood within the period of prediction from September 29 to October 3, 2024.
The states and locations affected include Akwa Ibom State (Oron, Edor, Eket, Upenekang); Adamawa State (Numan, Abba Kumbo, Farkumo, Jimeta, Wuro-Bokki); Bauchi State (Kafin-madaki, Bauchi); Bayelsa State (Sengana, Brass); Kebbi State (Argungu, Gwandu); Kaduna State (Buruku); Katsina State (Bakori, Funtua, Jibia).
Others are Kwara State (Jebba); Nasarawa State (Rukubi); Plateau State (Shendam); Rivers State (Bonny, Nembe); Taraba State (Bolleri, Duchi, Garkowa, Gassol, Gun Gun Bodel, Kambari, Mayo Ranewo, Mutum Biyu, Bandawa, Dampar, Yorro, Ngaruwa, Kwata Kanawa, Lau); Sokoto State (Silame); Yobe State (Dapchi); and Zamfara State (Anka, Majara).
@The PUNCH