Abia confirms 21 dead in floods

The Executive Secretary of Abia State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr. Sunday Jackson, said on Friday the state has so far recorded 21 deaths from flooding in different communities.

Jackson said this during the distribution of relief materials to some victims by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Umuahia,

He said Abia was one of the 32 states predicted by the Nigeria Hydrological Services to suffer high probable flood risk.

He added that the disaster did not only claim 21 lives but ravaged many communities, farmlands, and means of livelihood in the state.

Jackson revealed that 16 out of the 17 local government areas in the state were affected by the flood.

READ ALSO: Nigerian govt confirms 612 dead, 2,776 injured in floods

The SEMA chief said: “We believe that this assistance by the Federal Government will go a long way to cushion the effects of the disaster.”

In a remark at the event, the Director-General of NEMA, Dr. Mustapha Ahmed, commiserated with the Abia government over the disaster.

He said the federal government could not fully compensate the victims for their traumatic experiences.

Ahmed, who was represented by the Head of NEMA, Owerri Operations Office, Mr. Ifeanyi Nnaji, said the relief items were meant to ameliorate the sufferings of the victims.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now