Posted by Authorities in Cameroon have begun releasing water from the Lagdo Dam, so people in Nigeria have been warned to get ready for flooding.
Nine states, including Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa, have been identified as potential targets by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
This was announced by the agency’s director general, Mustapha Ahmed, at an urgent meeting at which he provided an update on the Lagdo Dam’s water flow.
According to Ahmed, 48,100 people in 13 states of the federation have been displaced because of the recent release of water by the dam, and this could lead to the damage of crops and other infrastructure.
He also said that since the dam was opened on August 14, 28 people have died and 159,157 have been impacted.
The director general of NEMA issued a call to action to all SEMA directors to mitigate the disaster’s impact.
During the previous 48 hours, he said, “NEMA has been alerted on sudden increased inundation of riparian communities and farmlands along the banks of the River Niger in Adamawa, Taraba, and Benue states.”
The quick discharge of waters from Lagdo Dam in the Republic of Cameroon has caused a startling crisis that has forced many people to leave their homes.
In addition, flood waters pose a threat to farmland and other critical infrastructure. Adamawa State has also reported an increase in flood levels along the Benue River’s flood plains.
As the River Benue merges with the River Niger and flows into the Atlantic Ocean via the Niger Delta, “the situation is expected to be replicated in downstream states of Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa.”
The organization has warned state and local governments along the Niger and Benue river basins to activate their emergency response plans as soon as possible to prevent more damage and losses to their communities from floods.
This year’s flood scenario has affected 159,157 people, resulting in the loss of 28 people and the displacement of 48,168 people in 13 states throughout Nigeria, according to the NEMA situation room dashboard, he added.