Flood wreaks havoc in Benue, displaces many families

Many families have been displaced from their homes as flood wreaked havoc in, at least, seven local government areas of Benue State following the upsurge of river Benue into communities along the coastline.

Our correspondent reports that the situation of the flood-prone residential areas in the state were worsened by the continued heavy rainfall in the past few days.

Our reporter who visited some of the affected areas such as; Wurukum, Kyabis, Gyado villa, Achussa and parts of Wadata all in Makurdi metropolis on Tuesday, said the residents had evacuated their belongings from their submerged homes.

Some of the flood victims; Mrs Joyce Dzwar and Ruth Emmanuel, said they were relocating with their families to relatives’ home in other parts of the town.

An affected landlord, a Dean of Students Affairs at the Benue State University (BSU) in Makurdi, Prof. Joseph Kerker, said his estate at Gyado villa inhabiting 25 occupants was submerged.

Kerker worried that most of his affected tenants were students of BSU who were writing their examinations as he appealed to government to step in and handle the situation to enable the undergraduates have a roof over their head to finish their examinations.

When contacted, the state’s Commissioner for Water Resources and Environment, Engr. Joshua Ahire, told our correspondent by telephone that, at least, 60 families were impacted by the flood in Makurdi metropolis.

Ahire said that his team had gone out to survey potential impact areas, adding however, that it was difficult to immediately ascertain the exact number of people affected by the flood in the state.

He listed the affected local government areas to include; Buruku, Agatu, Logo, Ukum, Kastina Ala, Makurdi and Guma, adding that in some of the places, it was farmlands that were affected mostly.

“The people haven’t opted to go to camp yet. We wanted to see how we can open the camp and start providing for them. But when we engaged them in discussion, they said they prefer to stay with their relatives while some of the affected have returned to their homes as the water receded in their environs,” Ahire explained.