The Periscope reporter
Scores of residents were rendered homeless as no fewer than 40 villages with unharvested farms and domestic animals were submerged as a result of the flood in Adamawa State, northeast Nigeria.
Dr Muhammad Sulaiman, the Executive Secretary, Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA), confirmed this Saturday to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola, the state capital.
Sulaiman said the development followed heavy downpour recorded in the last three days in some parts of the state.
According to him, 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.
Sulaiman 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.
Sulaiman said that there was possibility of more flooding, adding that officials of the agency have been sent to some affected areas to assess the level of damage.
Some of the victims of flood disaster the Periscope reporter interviewed, speculated speculations that the flood could not entirely be as a result of the heavy down but that Lagdo dam in Cameroon was criminally released against treaty between the two countries.
“Cameroon could be the culprit it should be made to compensate loses for releasing water from Lagdo dam unannounced,” a flood victim in Mbumara said.
On whether or not it was a mere speculation, the interviewee challenged the reporter to go ahead with the investigation.
“You are a newsman now. You should go and find out. All we know is that it takes Lagdo for this damage, Cameroon government should take responsibility for compensation, if Nigerian government is concern about us,” the flood victim said
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.
NAN reports that the displaced villages in Demsa include Mbula Bilachi, Morro 1, Morro 2 and Mbumara.
Others were Tika 1, Tika 2, Kunteri, Kuli, Tassala, and Kulasala among others.
In Fufore, the affected villages included Riko, Faram-Faram, Gurore Ribadu, Tumbi’nde, Dulo Bate, and Dulo Fulani among others