Lokoja – More communities in Kogi State have been submerged by floods currently ravaging nine Local government areas of the state just as the number of death arising from the disaster has increased from six to nine.
A Correspondent of vitalnews who visited some flood parts of the state on Wednesday said travellers travelling through the state to other parts of the country have also been at the receiving end of the flood disasters as three of them got drowned Olin the floid.
They got drowned when a wooden canoe they chartered to ferry them across Ganaja-Lokoja road to Ajaokuta end of the road capsized Monday evening.
The incident increased the number of deaths from six to nine.
Six persons had earlier lost their lives to the flood disasters in Ibaji Local Government area of the state.
Seven persons were said to be on board of the ill-fated boat when it capsized but only four managed to survive.
One of the victims whose body was among two recovered by divers on Tuesday was identified as Abudulfatia Abudulazeez.
Efforts are still being intensified to get the body of the third missing person.
The Kogi State Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Williams Aya, confirmed the incident.
He added that two corpses were picked from the flood and had been deposited in a mortuary in Lokoja.
Meanwhile , Lokoja-Abuja highway, has continued to remain impassable for motorists travelling across the country as the flood has taken over a stretch of the road from Koton karfe – Murtala Muhammed – Ikomi community in Lokoja local government.
Motorists coming from Abuja to Kogi, Edo, Delta and South Western States are now going through Niger and Benue States to reach there various destinations.
At Koton-Karfe, some canoe operators and Okada riders are making brisk business as they ferry stranded passengers from one end of the flooded stretch of the road to the other at exorbitant costs.
The blockade caused by the stranded vehicles on the road has also been impacting negatively on commercial activities as movement of goods and services from the North and Southern parts of the country is now on hold as a result of the flood disaster.
Also, the entire Ibaji Local Government has been submerged by the floods, leaving the inhabitants in a precarious situation.
Worst hit local government areas in the state are Lokoja, Bassa, Kogi, Ajaokuta, Idah, Ibaji, Omala, Ofu,Igala-mela and Ankoa.
Ibaji Unity Forum (IUF), an umbrella body of the people of Ibaji
said all the ten wards have been submerged while farming and fishing, the major occupations of residents have been badly affected.
The President of IUF Stephen Uchola, said that many of the flood victims were in danger of losing their lives as they were sick without drugs, food and shelter.
He said many residents are trapped in their communities as all the roads in the local government had been taken over by floods.
Uchola who spoke after a tour of the flood affected communities in the local government called for urgent assistance for the victims before it is too late.
“What we saw at various places we visited has necessitated this urgent call on the various arms of government, non-governmental organizations, philanthropists and donor agencies to come to the aid of the victims.
”They have lost everything to the flood and are battling to survive the disaster.
“We visited some communities on Monday and Tuesday, and will continue on Wednesday to cover the entire ten wards in Ibaji LGA,” he said.,
According to him, all the ten wards which include: Onyedega, Iyano, Ujeh, Ayah, Ojila, Odeke, Akpanyo, Unale, Ejule and Analo have been devastated by flood.
He added: ”Dangerous reptiles have taken over the flooded houses and it’s dangerous.
“Six deaths have been reported so far.
”At Aniocha in Ojila Ward, a 3-year-old child fell into the river and died. The casualty figure is low because many of our people can swim.
“As we speak thousands of them including the children are sick, stranded and eager to leave the area but they cannot do so because the volunteers using wooden boats to evacuate them can’t do much.
”Having lost their source of livelihood they are now helpless and praying for relief assistance especially food, drugs, clothing and shelter.
”If these are not provided urgently, from what we experienced, many will not survive this harsh condition.
“Unfortunately, those already evacuated to Idah town and some neighbouring states are also suffering and are finding it difficult to cope with some of them wearing one dress since they were rescued from their flooded communities some days back.
”Many of them have no place to sleep. Their condition is very pathetic and they are crying for help.”
He urged the Federal and Kogi Governments to urgently take urgent necessary steps to rescue thousands of people trapped in different communities in the area due to the ravaging flood disaster.
He said that since the outbreak of the devastating flood that has submerged the entire local government and rendered the residents homeless, there had not been any cogent assistance for the victims from government and its agencies.
He, therefore called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Kogi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), to urgently intervene and evacuate the victims to safe places and provide the much needed support to victims.
He noted some members of the organisation and public-spirited individuals had made donations towards assisting the victims.
He, however , said that the donations were not enough to alleviate the suffering of the people and mitigate the impact of the disaster on them.
“We are sending this Save-Our-Soul message to President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Yahaya Bello as well as NEMA to come to the rescue of our people.
”These people cannot help themselves under the present circumstances and their survival now depends on support from the government and donors. They should not abandon us in this time of difficulty,” Uchola appealed.
He further appealed to members of the public and kind-hearted individuals willing to assist the victims to do so by making urgent donations. (vitalnewsngr.com )
