The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has advised residents of Kebbi, Niger, and Kwara states living in high-risk flood areas to relocate to safer grounds following alerts of rising water levels along the River Niger.
NEMA’s Director General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, issued the warning and directed all operations offices covering communities along the river to intensify flood awareness campaigns. She explained that the measure became necessary after upstream alerts from the Republic of Benin indicated possible flooding.
“The Director General has instructed our field offices to sensitise communities and urge residents in flood-prone plains to evacuate immediately,” the agency’s Head of Press, Manzo Ezekiel, said in a statement on Friday.
Mrs. Umar also called on state governments in the high-risk zones to support their State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs) in activating contingency plans to reduce the impact of potential flooding. She reaffirmed NEMA’s commitment to coordinating measures that will safeguard lives and livelihoods along the River Niger.
Meanwhile, NEMA has confirmed that 41 persons were rescued and four deaths recorded from the recent boat accident in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State. The casualty figure followed the recovery of an additional body on Friday, which was buried in line with Islamic rites.
According to the agency, response teams visited Takuske, Kwakwazu, Bari, and Gamiha villages—home to many victims of the mishap—to verify the number of missing persons and commiserate with bereaved families. It was confirmed that 16 passengers survived the accident.
The multi-agency search and rescue operation has now been concluded. It was jointly conducted by NEMA, the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Goronyo Local Government Authority, and community divers.
NEMA’s DG commended the rescue teams for their diligence and the cooperation of all stakeholders in the operation.
