Lokoja – As floodwater recedes in some communities and keeps increasing in many others across communities in affected states in Nigeria, victims are gradually returning back to their original homes with the fear of how to be safe from reptiles that have taken over their residents.
It is also observed that prices vegetables and other food crops may increase astronomically as floods have completely washed away farmlands in affected communities.
Reptiles, particularly snakes, have reportedly taken over many homes in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State, causing panic among residents who are returning home after a gradual receding of water.
Also, in the Ughelli-Patani axis of the East Road the flood has overwhelmed one part of it as trucks conveying relief materials to affected communities in Delta State have been trapped.
“We now make use of speed boats to access the IDP camps to deliver materials to the victims,” a state official said anonymously .
Many travellers have been stranded and have now resorted to making use of river transport through canoes.
In Anambra state, over 50 persons, including women and children fleeing flood-ravaged villages drowned when the canoe they were travelling in capsized.
The same sad stories are coming from communities in Jigawa, Rivers, Bauchi, Adamawa and Bayelsa states.
Residents of Ajara Quarters in the Marine area of Lokoja, Adankolo, part of Army Barracks area, Gadumo and Ganaja areas, whose homes were flooded, have been battling with influx of snakes in their homes.
A resident of Ajara Quarters, Abdulmaliki Usman, told our correspondent that he and members of his family returned to his house due to receding floodwater, but there is no day they would not kill two to three snakes in their compound.
“We returned on Monday, October 10 as the floodwater started withdrawing gradually in our area.
“Since then, we have killed up to 10 snakes, some in the compound and others in the rooms.
“We are now living in fear. But we thank God that we have not recorded any incident of snake bite,” he said.
Equally, travellers plying the Ganaja-Lokoja road were reported to have encountered a big snake in their boat shortly after taking off to cross to the other side of the town on Thursday.
A snake was said to have been sighted by a passenger in the boat, few metres from the shore, causing passengers to jump into the water.
“We were lucky that the place was not deep. The snake was later killed by the boat owner with his paddle,” a passenger, Joseph Benjamin said.
In the same vein, a family in the Army Barracks area was reported to have killed a big snake in their room on Wednesday, October 6.
It was reported that the snake was sighted under a chair by a little girl who quickly brought it to the notice of her parents, who later killed it.
In Asaba, the Delta state capital, the Director-General of the State Bureau of Orientation, Mr Eugene Uzum at the weekend lamented that trucks laden with relief materials meant for victims in ravaged communities have been trapped by the ravaging flood.
Confirming the danger posed to victims by reptiles Uzum who confirmed the killing of a big python at Patani, pleaded with those still living in the flooded areas to relocate.
Dangerous sea animals, accodring to him, are being released as a result of the overflow of the river.
He said the flood in the state has totally or partially submerged no fewer than 300 communities and villages.
In Bayelsa, theCommissioner for Environment and chairman of the state’s Task Force on Flood Mitigation and Management, Mr. Iselema Gbaranbiri, put the number of displaced persons at 700,000, adding that virtually all the communities and streets in Yenagoa Local Government Area have also been submerged or partially flooded.
He said that communities in five other local government areas of Sagbama, Ekeremor, Ogbia, Kolokuma/Opokuma, and Southern Ijaw were equally seriously affected by the flood.
In Rivers, Ahaoda area of the state is mainly affected, and the government has set up a task force to assist the people. Over 50 persons died in Jigawa.
Meanwhile, over 1,000 households in Kogi State have received relief materials from the Founder of Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo to cushion the effect of flooding that ravaged ten Local Government Areas in the state.
Apart from the Headquarter of Winners Chapel in Lokongoma, Lokoja, other Branches within the Lokoja metropolis including LFC Adankolo, Gadumo, Ganaja, 500 Housing Units and other Local Governments areas like Ibaji, Ankpa, Ajaokuta, Bassa benefited from the relief materials.
Members from across all their network of churches in Kogi State were beneficiaries as non-members who registered as flood victims were also captured in the distribution as food packs that contained Rice, Beans, and Garri and a sum of 10,000 was given to each beneficiary.
While flagging off the distribution of the relief packages, the State Pastor of Living Faith Church in Kogi, Pastor Fred Attabo described the gesture as an initiative of the President and Founder of the Church, Bishop David Oyedepo.
His Words: “We thank God for the Leadership of this Commission and The Apostle of this Commission, Bishop David Oyedepo who heard about the flooding and immediately mobilized resources to ensure that something gets to you. The prophet over the commission is praying for you and the testimony of this prayer Is that we have not lost any member
“I bring greetings to you from our Father the Apostle over this Commission who sent the relief materials that we are distributing today. It is my prayer that as you receive this package, you will begin to receive greater help from above.”
Attabo added that it is not a welfare issue but a package for the victims of the flooding alone as over 24 local churches in the Ibaji local government area were closed as a result of the flood
“The token we are giving you is not to build another house but to cushion the effects of the flooding and ameliorate the suffering of the flood victims and it will be a continuous exercise that will be carried out from time to time,” he said.
In his address, the Chairman of the Flood Response Committee, Elder Joseph Ipemida Charged the Beneficiaries to make use of the food pack as a way of starting the process of resettlement.
“We are mandated to ensure that everyone is captured and not being our member doesn’t mean you will not benefit from the package.”
He added that the list contains the names of over two hundred people, and everyone will be reached, maintaining that the Emergency Response which runs into several millions of naira was simultaneously carried out in all the branches as their relief packages have also been sent to all their churches across the nine Local Government Areas that have been affected by the flood in Kogi State.
