Over 25 communities living along the bank of the River Niger have been submerged in flood in Edo State following the release of water from Lagdo Dam in Cameroun.
The local government areas on the bank of the River Niger that are affected by the flood are Etsako East, Etsako Central and Esan South East.
Speaking with journalists, Ojimah Christopher, Desk Officer, Esan South East Local Government on Relief Materials and Distribution, said 25 communities have been submerged in flood.
Ojimah who is also the Local Government Secretary, Emergency Committee, said the Internally Displaced Camp in the local government have already been filled by displaced persons.
According to him, there are are some communities, especially Ifeku, that have been completely submerged and their property and livestock swept away.
A resident of the affected area, John Odaku, said their farm lands such as yam, Cassava, groundnut among others, have been submerged by flood while farm produce already harvested were swept away.
He said they could not take their belongings due to the rising level of the flood, which, according to him, is more than that of last year.
“We couldn’t salvage our crops and farm produce and livestock as they were swept away by the ravaging flood”
He called on the State and Federal Government to come to their aids, noting that the local government has been shouldering their responsibility.
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency has charged the people to relocate to IDP camps to avoid casualties.
Speaking on the development, the NEMA Head, Benin Operation office, Dahiru Yusuf, said the agency has been monitoring the flood situation in collaboration with state and local governments and other stakeholders.
“Three local governments of Esan South East, Etsako East and Etsako Central. Some communities are displaced already”.
He said they have visited all the flood prone local governments to assess their level of preparedness, noting that most of the IDP camps in the various local government are ready.
