Two people have died in flooding in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, the state government said, warning displaced residents not to return home before the water recedes.
Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism Nawani Aboki gave the update in Lafia on Monday. He said the flooding had displaced residents and destroyed buildings and farmlands.
Daily Post reported that an assessment had expanded the number of affected communities from 11 to 18. Daily Trust described more than 18 communities as affected.
The earlier assessment by the state emergency management agency put displacement at more than 5,000 people across 11 communities, Daily Post reported. Aboki did not give a revised displacement figure for the expanded area, so that earlier figure does not cover the full updated assessment.
Governor Abdullahi Sule has directed the state emergency management agency to visit the affected communities and submit a report to guide the response. Aboki said the government was mobilising relief materials and taking steps to prevent disease outbreaks.
Displaced residents are sheltering in communities on higher ground. Daily Trust reported that people from more than eight communities had gathered in Agwama, while groups from four to five communities were sheltering together in Loko and other areas, putting pressure on their hosts.
Aboki urged people living in low-lying areas to move to higher ground and follow warnings from the state government, the National Emergency Management Agency and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.
He warned against an early return, saying residents should wait until the floodwater had fully receded. He also cautioned that further water releases from Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam could worsen conditions.
Sources: Daily Trust, Daily Post
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