No fewer than five communities in the Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State are currently underwater due to flooding. The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Mouktar Atima, disclosed this in Lokoja, stating that the floods have completely submerged the area in the state’s eastern senatorial district.
Atima warned communities along the riverbanks to relocate immediately to safer grounds. He led the Emergency Response and Critical Team on an advocacy visit to the State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Adams Abdullazeez, emphasizing that the state is no longer safe owing to rising water levels in the Rivers Niger and Benue.
According to Atima, excessive water began pouring into the Rivers Niger and Benue from Tuesday night, causing the rivers to overflow. He mentioned that 258 communities in eight local government areas have been marked as flood-prone, and 42 internally displaced persons camps have been constructed to accommodate those affected.
An emergency operations centre has also been opened, and five communities in Ibaji Local Government Area—Ota, Ofogbo, Itima, and Owara—were reported as the worst hit. Atima highlighted the importance of the state Ministry of Health in disaster management and informed the commissioner about the rising water levels, stressing that the next 72 hours will be critical.
Dr. Abdullazeez affirmed that the ministry is responsible not only for healthcare services but also for human services, and is fully prepared to mitigate any disaster in the state. He noted that fumigation of all 42 IDP camps has begun in preparation for the floods, and personnel and materials are mobilized to assist victims.
Several states, including Kogi, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Bauchi, and Jigawa, have intensified efforts to avert a flood crisis. According to figures from the National Emergency Management Agency, over 232 persons have lost their lives, while more than 121,000 others have been displaced due to floods across the country as of September 20.
The flooding has resulted in significant damage, with at least 339,658 people recording some form of loss and 681 sustaining various degrees of injuries. Deaths were reported in several states, with Niger State accounting for the highest fatalities. The floods have also led to numerous cases of missing persons nationwide.
