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300 residents sacked as River Benue overflows, submerges houses

By Joseph Wantu, Makurdi
25 September 2015   |   1:55 am
OVER three hundred residents of Makurdi metropolis and environs were sacked from their homes as River Benue overflowed its bank following release of large quantities of water from the Lagdo Dam in the Republic of Cameroon as earlier predicted by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET).

RIVER-BENUE-CopyOVER three hundred residents of Makurdi metropolis and environs were sacked from their homes as River Benue overflowed its bank following release of large quantities of water from the Lagdo Dam in the Republic of Cameroon as earlier predicted by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET).

The Guardian recalled that a similar flooding incident occurred in 2012 which left many people devastated after loosing their farms, houses and other properties worth billions of Naira to the flood.

Worst hit areas, investigation revealed, include Demekpe, Wurukum, Wadata and North Bank all along the riverside in Makurdi where houses were submerged.

The Nigeria Air force fence at the foot of the new bridge and parts of the Benue State University are already at the verge of being flooded.

Other heavily flooded areas in the capital city included Terwase Agbadu, Gyado villa, the Redeemed Church, Kyabiz Hotel and parts of Judges Quarters, all located along Makurdi-Gboko expressway.

On Makurdi- Gboko road, it was observed that apart from a few resident and business shops owners, most of the people affected were students of the Benue State University Makurdi who are currently writing their second semester examinations.

Meanwhile, businesses and social activities in the areas visited have been grounded as hundreds of people are struggling to evacuate their belongings to their neighbours in safer areas.

At Gboko road, some of the victims who spoke to The Guardian, including Mrs. Nancy Atese, John Wuese and Peter Waase, called on the state government to act fast to save the situation.

According to them, this is the second time they are experiencing such flooding in the area. Apart from the loss of their furniture, beddings, and foodstuff to the flood, they also lamented that various vital documents were damaged by the flood.

At Demekpe settlement area in Makurdi, a resident, Moses Audu, who has moved his family out of their home to a neighbour’s house, said they woke up in the night only to notice water entering their rooms, before quickly packing out.

He appealed to the state government to find a lasting solution to the perennial problem in the area.

But when contacted, the state Executive Secretary of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr. Boniface Ortese, said those affected by the flood should relocate to the five make- shift camps provided by the government in Makurdi for adequate safety.

The Guardian would recall that SEMA had earlier appealed to residents of the state living along the banks of River Benue to evacuate from their abode in order not to be taken unaware.

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