The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says no fewer than 158,000 people were affected by flood in 18 local government areas of Kebbi State.
The Team Leader of NEMA’s Emergency Operation Centre in Sokoto, Alhaji Tukur Abubakar, made this known while speaking with newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Monday shortly after meeting with the state governor, Sen. Atiku Bagudu.
Tukur explained that the team had been in the state for the past three weeks and went round the most affected areas and documented the details of flood victims.
“We have been here for the past three weeks. As you know, Kebbi state is one of the worst hit by the flood this year. So, we are here to assess the level of damage.
“We have gone round 18 local government areas affected in the state and, so far, we have collected the data of about 158,000 affected victims and we are still gathering the data as we will forward our report to the office for further action,” Tukur said.
He assured the affected people that necessary palliatives and assistance would come to them after the completion of the data collation.
He said: “When we gathered these data, definitely, there will be palliatives for them. Last year, we had agriculture intervention and this year too ,we are going to have the same thing.
“There are some houses affected by flood, fishermen were also affected. So, there will be some interventions.”
Tukur also commended the state Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for the synergy with it to alleviate the plight of those displaced from their habitats and have lost properties to the flood.
Earlier, Kebbi State Chairman of SEMA, Alhaji Sani Dododo, commended the team for coming to the state in spite of the constraints including protests across the country.
“We have gone to 18 LGAs which were most affected by flood, where some bridges, houses, farms and animals were destroyed,” he said.
Dododo assured the victims that they would be compensated by government after all the collations of data had been completed.
