Over 100 Communities Submerged As River Niger Overflows

More than 100 communities in Niger State have been submerged following the overflow of the River Niger.

Farmlands and houses have also been destroyed, leaving residents of the affected communities homeless.

Although there are no reports of casualties, the Niger State Governor, Mr  Abubakar Bello, has visited the communities with other members of the state executive to find ways of relocating the residents.

Read Also: Indices That Caused 2012 Floods Have Manifested, Agency Warns

This comes weeks after the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) issued a flood alert for seven states – Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Anambra, Delta, and Bayelsa – on the floodplains of River Niger.

The agency also warned that the steady rise in water levels and weather forecast in the coming weeks have put Nigeria at risk of witnessing a recurrence of catastrophic flooding similar to what it witnessed in 2012.

It, therefore, called on 12 states to be on alert with Edo, Taraba, Benue, Adamawa, and Rivers states joining the seven states previously put on alert.