Flood kills 29, destroys 321,000 houses, 858,000 farmlands in Kebbi

The Kebbi State Government has said no fewer than 29 persons, 321,000 houses and 858,000 farmlands have been lost to floodwaters in 16 of the 21 local government areas of the state. Briefing journalists in Birnin Kebbi on Friday, the state Commissioner for Information, Yakubu Ahmed, said if help did not come to the affected […]

The Kebbi State Government has said no fewer than 29 persons, 321,000 houses and 858,000 farmlands have been lost to floodwaters in 16 of the 21 local government areas of the state.

Briefing journalists in Birnin Kebbi on Friday, the state Commissioner for Information, Yakubu Ahmed, said if help did not come to the affected areas where rice, maize guinea corn and other crops were destroyed by the flood, there might be shortage of food in the state and Nigeria at large.

He said before the NiMET prediction that Kebbi might be worst hit by flood, the state had suffered severe disaster from flooding in 16 LGAs due to the water released from Goronyo dam and the convergence waters in River Rima and River Kaa which flow into the state through River Niger.

The commissioner said despite the measures taken by government the state still suffered flooding.

“Only 5 out of the 16 local governments of the state are minimally affected. The flood had destroyed farmlands, bridges and thousands of households.

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“On the number of deaths, we had lost seven persons in Shanga, eight in Maiyama, five in Kalgo, seven in Jega and two in Birnin Kebbi so far,” he said.

Ahmed said given the enormity of the damage the flood caused to households, farmlands, bridges and access roads in many communities of the state, the government alone cannot shoulder the responsibilities.

He called on the federal government, cooperate organisations and individuals for support to the state in mitigating the effect of the flood.