Lagdo dam release causes severe flooding in Edo

No fewer than 25 communities living along the bank of the River Niger have been submerged in flood in Edo State following the release of water from Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.

The affected communities are in Etsako East, Etsako Central and Esan South East.

Desk Officer of the Esan South East Local Government on Relief Materials and Distribution, Christopher Ojimah, confirmed the submerging of the communities on Monday.

Ojimah, who is also the Local Government Secretary of the Emergency Committee, said the Internally displaced camp in the local government has already been filled by displaced persons.

He said there were some communities, especially Ifeku, that have been completely submerged and their property and livestock swept away.

He said, “The release of water from the Lagdo Dam has caused flooding in these three local government areas, with their houses submerged and residents having to abandon their houses.

“There are some communities, especially, Ifeku, is completely submerged, and their properties have livestock swept away. The IDP camp in Esan South East is already filled with residents.”

A resident of the affected area, John Odaku, said their farmlands had been submerged, and they were not salvaging their crops and livestock.

He said, “Our crops, such as yam, cassava, and groundnut, among others, have been submerged by flood while farm produce already harvested were swept away.

“We could not take our belongings due to the rising level of the flood, which is more than that what we experienced last year.

“We couldn’t salvage our crops and farm produce and livestock as they were swept away by the ravaging flood.”

He called on the date and Federal Government to come to their aid, noting that the local government has been shouldering the responsibility alone.

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Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency has charged the people to relocate to IDP camps to avoid casualties.

Speaking on the development, the NEMA Head of Benin operation office, Dahiru Yusuf, said the agency has been monitoring the flood situation in collaboration with state and local governments and other stakeholders.

He said, “Three local governments of Esan South East, Etsako East and Etsako Central are affected and some communities are displaced already.

“We have visited all the flood-prone local governments to assess their level of preparedness. Most of the IDP camps in the various local governments are ready for use.”