By Muhammad Adam
No fewer than 40 villages have been sacked by flood in Adamawa, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Dr Muhammad Sulaiman, the Executive Secretary, Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA), confirmed this to NAN on Saturday in Yola.
Sulaiman said the development followed heavy downpour recorded in the last three days in some parts of the state.
He said majority of the affected villages were on the bank of River Benue, with farmlands and houses seriously affected.
“In August this year, we lost 15 persons, hundreds of people were internally displaced, and thousands of farmlands and domestic animals were lost to the flood.
“Now within the last three days, over 40 villages in five local government areas of Adamawa were over-run by flood following heavy torrential rainfall.
“The affected local government areas include Fufore, Yola South, Demsa, Numan and Girei,” the ADSEMA boss said.
He urged the federal agencies and United Nations Organisations who promised assistance to the victims of the August flooding to redeem their pledge.
Sulaiman noted that currently the level of water in the River Benue was high and many villages are cut off from the rest of the state.
He said that there was possibility of more flooding, adding that officials of the agency had been sent to some affected areas to assess the level of damage.
On the speculations that the recent flood is linked to the release of water from Lagdo Dam in Cameroun, the ADSEMA boss said that he was unaware.
“There has been no official communication between Nigeria and the Cameroun Government that water is going to be released from Lagdo Dam.
“However, the recent high volume of water in the River Benue is unusual,” Sulaiman said.
Mr Haley Gajere, a farmer from Bilachi Village in Demsa Local Government Area, told NAN that the village was completely over-run by the flood.
Gajere said that the residents were taking refuge in neighbouring villages, adding that their rice and maize farmlands had been completely washed away.
“On Friday, we harvested one of our rice farms of about three hectares along the bank of River Benue with the intention of conveying it back home on Saturday.
“However, as I speak to you now, our houses have been submerged; we cannot even trace the farm location, because everywhere is flooded,” Gajere said.
NAN reports that the displaced villages in Demsa include Mbula Bilachi, Morro 1, Morro 2 and Mbumara.
Others are Tika 1, Tika 2, Kunteri, Kuli, Tassala, and Kulasala among others.
In Fufore, the affected villages include Riko, Faram-Faram, Gurore Ribadu, Tumbi’nde, Dulo Bate, and Dulo Fulani among others. (NAN)