BY ANTHONY OCHELA, ABUJA
Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, NIHSA, has called on persons living along the River Benue Basin to quickly move away from the banks as increased water on the river has reached flooding level due to torrential rainfall.
Director-General of the agency, Umar Ibrahim Mohammed in a statement yesterday also urged those along the River Niger to move to a safe location as the management of Kainji and Jebba Dams were working to control the floodwaters.
Mohammed, urged Nigerians to cooperate with the emergency management agencies in order to collectively build resilience against flooding, and greatly minimise the aftermath of the flood.
NIHSA had on September 22 issued a flood alert warning that water levels along critical stations in the River Benue basin have surged to alarming heights.
The agency said as of Saturday, September 21, the levels recorded were 6.3 meters at Wuro Boki, 5.04 meters at Jimeta Bridge, 8.2 meters at IBBI, 9.4 meters at Makurdi, and 8.68 meters at Lokoja.
It said with these figures nearing dangerous thresholds, it has issued a warning to states previously identified as high-risk flood zones, urging them to take immediate action.
The agency at the time called for urgent implementation of containment measures or the preparation for possible water conveyance as part of flood management efforts.
It stressed that the failure to act could result in severe flooding, endangering lives, property, and infrastructure.
NIHSA said the alert followed weeks of heavy rainfall and heightened concerns over potential overflow from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon, which could exacerbate flood risks in Nigeria.
According to the agency, earlier advisories highlighted regions within the Benue and Niger River basins as particularly vulnerable to flooding.
NIHSA had noted that the flooding risk is an annual challenge for many Nigerian states, particularly during the rainy season, and has been worsened by the effects of climate change.
