Flood: Snake scare heightens in Lokoja as water recedes

Reptiles, particularly snakes, have reportedly taken over many homes in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State, causing panic among residents who are returning home after a gradual receding of water. Daily Trust on Sunday noted that residents of Ajara Quarters in the Marine area of Lokoja, Adankolo, part of Army  Barracks area, Gadumo and Ganaja […]

Reptiles, particularly snakes, have reportedly taken over many homes in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State, causing panic among residents who are returning home after a gradual receding of water.

Daily Trust on Sunday noted that residents of Ajara Quarters in the Marine area of Lokoja, Adankolo, part of Army  Barracks area, Gadumo and Ganaja areas, whose homes were flooded, have been battling with influx of snakes in their homes. 

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A resident of Ajara Quarters, Abdulmaliki Usman, told our correspondent that he returned to his house due to receding floodwater, but there is no day they would not kill two to three snakes in their compound.

“We returned on Monday as the floodwater started withdrawing gradually in our area.  Since then, we have killed up to 10 snakes, some in the compound and others in the rooms. We are now living in fear. But we thank God that we have not recorded any incident of snake bite,” he said.

Equally, travellers plying the Ganaja-Lokoja road were reported to have encountered a big snake in their boat shortly after taking off to cross to the other side of the town on Thursday.

A snake was said to have been sighted by a passenger in the boat, few metres from the shore, causing passengers to jump into the water.

“We were lucky that the place was not deep. The snake was later killed by the boat owner with his paddle,” a passenger, Joseph Benjamin said.

In the same vein, a family in the Army Barracks area was reported to have killed a big snake in their room on Wednesday.

It was reported that the snake was sighted under a chair by a little girl and quickly brought it to the notice of her parents, who later killed it.