Families displaced as flood sacks 82 communities in Niger

DAILY TRUST

Dozens of farmers from at least 82 communities in Mokwa and Mashegu local government areas (LGAs) of Niger State are counting their losses at internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and other safer areas following flooding that displaced them from their homes. 

Witnesses and authorities said the latest incidents in Mokwa and Mashegu were recorded on Monday and Tuesday due to torrential downpour that lasted for hours. 

Scattered across various safer grounds, findings by Daily Trust revealed that the victims’ most pressing challenges are inadequate food and shelter. 

Clinics and skills acquisition centres have been taken over by victims as shelter, because many schools and other public buildings in the affected areas are also flooded.

Our correspondent observed that no fewer than 30 people sleep in a classroom in Ketso-Woro, one of the host communities, with other classrooms hosting more, victims and health workers disclosed.

‘We used canoes to evacuate our families’ 

Alhaji Muhammad Nagode, a farmer in Ketso, a riverine community in Mokwa LGA, told our correspondent that they woke up that fateful night and discovered that flood waters had taken over their surroundings. 

“We thank God for life,” he said. “We were able to evacuate our families using canoes to safer grounds even though we lost virtually all our belongings. 

“More than 70 per cent of us live in a camp now, while a few others sleep on the water for security purposes because we all vacated our communities,” he said. 

“We have lost our farms, houses and foodstuffs. We have lost our domestic animals including goats and cattle because we couldn’t move with them. We don’t have food right now as I speak with you,” he said.

Another victim, who does not want his name mentioned, said: “Since the incident, we have not received intervention from authorities. 

“Government and well-meaning individuals should come to our aid. We don’t have food and clothes and there is no adequate place to sleep,” he said. 

Jibrin Mohammed, who was displaced from the Muregi community, said they had no place to go because of the current scarcity of fuel and cost of transportation. 

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