The Kogi state government has disclosed that more than seventy towns have been inundated due to flooding.
After visiting the Edeha neighborhood for an inspection, Mr. Joel Salifu, the Deputy Governor, said that the state government is unable to handle the flood.
Despite the state government’s proactive steps in response to this year’s flood, Comrade Salifu, who is also the State Chairman of the 2024 Kogi State Flood Disaster Response Committee, clarified that the current situation in Edeha and other communities along the route has gotten out of hand.
“It is evident that the current situation is beyond what the Kogi state Government can handle; we cannot do it alone,” he stated once more.
He expressed satisfaction that there have been no fatalities in the impacted towns to date, but emphasized that the precise amount of damaged properties, including farmlands, has not yet been determined.
According to Salifu, the majority of the residents of the impacted areas have moved into the camps designated for internally displaced people (IDPs) by the state administration.
In his remarks, Abdullahi Isah, the chief of the Edeha community, stated that more than 70 settlements in the area are now under water. He also commended the State government for acting quickly to rescue lives and property.
He clarified that the majority of those impacted had relocated to higher ground and were now staying at the camps set up for internally displaced people in the neighborhood.
Beyond Edeh, all of the communities along those paths had been inundated, according to Ohimegye Kotonkarfe, Saidu Akawu-Salihu, the community’s paramount ruler.
“Communities like Gaduma, Gabor, Ikumo, Edama, and others are all under water as we speak,” he continued, emphasizing that flooded communities included Apaku, Egasema, Oka, and Agwo.