The Executive Secretary of the Kogi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mouktar Atima, has raised alarm over rising floodwaters in the state, confirming that Ibaji Local Government Area has been completely submerged.
Atima, who led the Emergency Response and Critical Team on an advocacy visit to the state Commissioner of Health, Dr. Adams Abdullazeez, warned that communities living along riverbanks must urgently relocate to safer grounds.
He noted that the situation has worsened due to the increasing water levels of the Rivers Niger and Benue, stressing that the state is “no longer safe” if precautionary steps are not taken immediately.
According to him, data from experts and dam managers across the country indicate that excess water will begin to flow into the Rivers Niger and Benue from Tuesday night, which is expected to trigger further overflow and massive flooding.
SEMA has therefore urged residents to comply with early warnings to prevent avoidable loss of lives and property as the state braces for the peak of the flooding season.