- This warning comes as Cameroon releases water from the Lagdo Dam
The Anambra State Government has urged residents in flood-prone areas to begin evacuating their crops, livestock, and personal belongings as rising water levels in the River Niger threaten to cause severe flooding.
This warning comes as Cameroon releases water from the Lagdo Dam, combined with upstream activities from Niger Republic and Mali.
In a video circulated on social media on Saturday, the state’s Commissioner for Information, Paul Nwosu, identified 10 local government areas at high risk of flooding. These include Ogbaru, Ayamelum, Anambra East, Anambra West, Onitsha South, Onitsha North, Awka North, Idemili South, Ekwusigo, and Ihiala.
Nwosu’s advice follows weeks of heavy rainfall and repeated warnings from the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency and the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency about the imminent threat of flooding. He urged residents to relocate the elderly, women, and children to internally displaced persons (IDP) camps established by the state government, emphasizing that these facilities are ready to accommodate those in need.
“The internally displaced persons camps set up by the state governor are still in place. We urge them to move the elderly, women, and children to the camps immediately,” Nwosu said.
He added that the Anambra State Flood Response Committee, led by Deputy Governor Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, will issue further guidance in the coming days. Local government officials and community leaders were also advised to comply with forthcoming directives aimed at safeguarding lives.
As the water levels rise, residents in riverine communities along the River Niger have already begun to evacuate. The traditional ruler of Omor Community in Ayamelum Local Government Area, Igwe Chidume Orenu, advised people in flood-prone farm settlements to move to higher ground and start harvesting their crops to prevent losses.