Thirty three riverine villages in Lapai Local Government area of Niger State have been sacked by flood from Rivers Niger and Kogi.
Fifteen of the affected villages are currently submerged by the flood, displacing residents of the villages while the access roads to 18 other villages have been washed off by the flood. Inhabitants of the worst hit villages are currently camping at Primary Schools in Arah and Dere villages under deplorable living conditions.
Domestic animals and multi-million Naira properties,which include residential buildings, schools, places of worship and vast farmland have been destroyed and washed away by the flood.
House of Representatives member representing Agaie/Lapai Federal constituency, Hon. Mohammed Abdulkadir Mahamud and his State House of Assembly counterpart for Lapai constituency, Hon. Adamu Hassan Abugi who paid a fact-finding visit to the affected areas on Sunday expressed concern for the victims.
The two legislators who are indigenes of the area assured the affected communities of state government determination to alleviate their sufferings by relocating them upland of banks of the two major rivers.
Addressing the displaced persons at Dere Primary School, Hon. Mahmud said the state governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello promised to come to the aid of the affected communities following a preliminary report sent to him.
“We have spoken to the governor of the degree of devastation caused by the flood and he (governor) has promised to come to our aid with a view to relocating our people upland. And I know that the governor will not disappoint us,” the lawmaker assured his people.
He also called for the take off of the Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) in order to address the annual flooding of the area.
“It is high time for states under HYPPADEC to come toigether and ensure the takeoff of the Commission, so that lasting solution could be found to this perennial flooding and protect our people from suffering annually as a result of flood,” Mahmud appealed.
Earlier the village head of Dere, Alhaji Idris Dere who recounted their losses said this year’s flooding was more devastating and called on the three tiers of government to come to their aid.
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