Nasarawa flood: one dead, over 300 farmlands destroyed
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By Abel Daniel, Lafia
Flood in Nasarawa has claimed one life, leaving over 300 farmlands and crops destroyed in three local government areas of the state.
Director General of the Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency (NASEMA), Mr. Benjamin Akwash, disclosed this during a news briefing in Lafia after an assessment of the affected areas.
Mr. Akwash said the agency has been carrying out sensitisation campaigns in flood-prone communities and engaging stakeholders on the need to adopt safety measures and comply with weather forecasts issued by relevant authorities.
He, however, expressed concern that many residents in high-risk areas were reluctant to relocate despite repeated warnings.
“People are finding it difficult to move to safer grounds. They prefer to remain on their ancestral lands despite repeated alerts from authorities. This is unacceptable. We cannot continue to play laxity with human lives; there must be a way out,” he said.
Mr. Akwash revealed that the state government is working on a sustainable flood prevention strategy to curb the annual disasters, rather than focusing solely on post-disaster relief efforts.
He further disclosed that a detailed assessment of the devastation is ongoing in Nasarawa, Kokona, and Doma Local Government Areas, where the disaster destroyed hundreds of hectares of farmland and claimed one life.
“This is a major setback in our drive to achieve food security and sufficiency. Preliminary reports show that more than 300 farmlands with crops have been completely washed away,” he added.
Mr. Akwash also announced that the state government has concluded plans to distribute food and non-food relief materials to flood victims and other disaster-affected communities.
With the rains reaching their peak, he urged residents in riverine areas, particularly those in the five most vulnerable Local Government Areas of Doma, Nasarawa, Toto, Awe, and Kokona, to relocate to safer locations to protect lives and property.
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