Flood: Kogi, Jigawa, Anambra Recorded More Deaths

Federal government has disclosed that Kogi, Jigawa, and Anambra states are the most hard hit in terms of deaths and other calamities by the recent flooding across the country.

Minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, disclosed this to State House correspondents during the weekly ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to an official statistical chart from the ministry, the number of deaths recorded per state, number of people displaced, number of injuries, houses damaged, farm lands per hectares damaged, as well as general population affected, are some of the factors used in assessing the states affected most.

In the 2022 flood data, obtained from officials of the ministry, as at 24th October, the death toll in Jigawa stood at 91, while it was 77 in Anambra, however in Kogi, 471,991 persons have been affected, with no death record.

The data also disclosed that 3,219,780 Nigerians have been affected nationwide, while number of displaced persons stood at 1,427,370, the total number of persons recorded dead was 612.

However, reacting to the varying levels of impacts on the states and recent misgivings expressed by key figures from some parts of the country about federal government’s response, especially by Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State and Ijaw elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, the minister said the ministry had been working with states to convey relief materials.

She said 28 states and the FCT, Abuja, have received relief items consisting of food and non-food items from the federal government

“I’ve mentioned that we have officers in all the states and they are supporting the states officials to give support to these victims, where it is possible for us to visit, we have visited, but the most important thing is the response which we have given; a very quick response for the states affected.

“We have a plan in place – a flood emergency preparedness plan, it is in place and the FG has a role to play in this and we have started operationalizing that plan. That plan has just been approved by federal executive council in September this year.

“Let me use this opportunity to extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. Lives have been lost, very unfortunate. There were early warnings and hence, early actions by all; the national, sub nationals and even individuals that were prone to this disaster.