REVEALED: Floods have killed 53, displaced 100,420 in 2015

At least 53 people have died in 11 states following flood disasters that displaced more than 100,420 persons this year.

Thousands of houses, farmlands and property worth billions of naira have also been lost to the flood disasters in many local government areas affected in the northern states.

According to NAN, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kaduna, Jigawa, Adamawa, Yobe, Gombe and Bauchi are the affected states.

In Kano state, Sabi’u Mohammed, a director with the State Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (SERERA), said 12 people lost their lives in the disasters.

“The deceased lost their lives in six local government areas of the state between August and September as a result of the flooding,” he said.

“Six persons died in Shonono, two each in Dala and Tudun Wada and one each in Gabasawa and Takai local government areas.”

He said more than 1, 600 persons were displaced by the flood while property worth millions of naira was destroyed.

Mohammed explained that officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had already visited some of affected areas and assessed the situation.

“At our own level we have submitted a comprehensive report to the state government for possible assistance to the victims of the disaster,” he said.

“I am happy to inform you that the government had recently approved N15.8 million for the purchase and distribution of relief materials to victims of the flood disaster in Albasu local government area.’’

From Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states, NEMA confirmed the death of eleven persons as a result of flooding.

Thickman Tanimu , deputy head, Sokoto zonal operations office of NEMA, said 10 of the victims died in Zamfara, while a seven-year-old boy died at Kuchi village in Kebbe local government of Sokoto state

Tanimu said more than 86, 710 hectares valued N1.58 billion were destroyed in the three states.

According to him, a total of 20, 477 homes were also affected, rendering more than 46, 200 people homeless.

He said the flood affected eight out of the 14 local government areas in Zamafara, which included Shinkafi, Talata Mafara, Gusau, Anka, Tsafe, Bungudu, Zurmi and Maradun.

The official explained that 8, 540 houses and 6,450 hectares of farmland valued at N 260 million were destroyed in the affected areas in the state.

Tanimu further said 11 out of the 23 local governments in Sokoto were affected by the flood, while two communities in Wurno and Goronyo local governments were evacuated.

“The other local governments affected were Rabah, Kware, Binji, Kebbe, Gwadabawa, Wamakko, Bodinga, Sokoto North and Sokoto south,” he said, adding that, 24,750 people and 6, 922 houses were affected, with 42,800 hectares of farmlands worth N 750 million either totally destroyed or badly affected.

In Kebbi state, the NEMA official said 10 out of the 21 local governments were also affected by the disaster.

They were Argungu, Birnin Kebbi, Bunza, Kalgo, Dandi, Bagudo, Yauri, Danko Wasagu and Suru.

He disclosed that 21, 450 people and 5,015 houses were affected, while 37,460 hectares of farmlands worth N 570 million were also destroyed

According to him, two communities in Birnin Kebbi, namely Wabbako-Fulani and Wabbako-Hausa, have been submerged by the flood.

Tanimu said the agency had provided food and other essential materials to assist the victims as part of the initial federal government’s intervention.

He attributed the high level of losses to the release of water from Bakalori and Goronyo dams located in Zamfara and Sokoto states respectively.

In Kaduna state, the executive secretary, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Ezekiel Baba, confirmed the death of three people in Kachia local government area of the state.

Bala  said the three persons died in August following a flood disaster which also destroyed several houses and crops; saying.

In Katsina state, three persons died and more than 3, 620 people were displaced by flood during the year.

Ibrahim Abdulkarim, acting executive director, State Emergency Management Agency, said the flood disasters were recorded in 15 local government areas of the state.

He revealed that the state government had established an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camps for victims in the affected areas.

According to him, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has also awarded contract for a permanent IDPs camp in Katsina metropolis at the cost of N156 million.

In Bauchi, Abubakar Umar, secretary, State Humanitarian Coordination Team (SHCT), said about 11 persons lost their lives, with 11, 708 houses and 104, 147 farmlands destroyed by flood in 2015.

Umar told NAN that value of the property destroyed was about N1.5 billion.

He said that 88 communities and 105 villages in 18 out of the 20 Local Government Areas of the state were affected.

In Jigawa, Muhammad Badaru, governor of the state, told NAN that about 223,000 farmlands were destroyed by flood in all 27 local government areas of the state.

He said the state government had sought for assistance from the federal government to ameliorate the hardship being faced by the victims.

“I spoke with President Muhammadu Buhari and the Director General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on telephone, to intimate them on the situation,” he said.

Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said four people had died in flood that wrecked seven Local Government Areas of Jigawa recently.

The NEMA zonal coordinator for north-west zone, Musa Ilallah, told NAN in Dutse that the agency had carried out an assessment tour to the affected council areas to take stock of items destroyed.