Heavy rainfall in Plateau state this week has resulted to flooding which has wreak havoc in four local government areas. Up to 300 houses are said to have been destroyed and several loved ones missing in the impasse. The four local government areas affected by the flood, include : Jos North, Barkin Ladi, Kanam and Shendam.   

When contacted, one of our sources from Kanam LGA said: “Large swaths of farmland have been destroyed and as I speak to you several people and livestock remain unaccounted for”. 

Heavy rainfall in Plateau state this week has resulted to flooding which has wreak havoc in four local government areas. Up to 300 houses are said to have been destroyed and several loved ones missing in the impasse. The four local government areas affected by the flood, include : Jos North, Barkin Ladi, Kanam and Shendam.   

When contacted, one of our sources from Kanam LGA said: “Large swaths of farmland have been destroyed and as I speak to you several people and livestock remain unaccounted for”. 

Confirming the incident, the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Alh. Alhasan Barde, said they were still in the process of compiling accurate figures of people missing and land/property damage.  He went further to say “that the floods have affected four local government areas, resulting in the destruction of homes and property with several people yet to be accounted for. As I speak with you now, I am undertaking an on-spot-assessment of the affected areas and would give you the exact figures of the damage afterwards.”

The rain commenced on Sunday afternoon and lasted almost four hours, which then resulted to rain build up and the floods. 

It would be recalled that the Plateau state government has repeatedly offered warnings to residents not to build along water channels, urging those currently living along the channels to relocate to avoid possible floods. Last year floodings were especially rife in the Rikkos area of the state resulting in loss of lives and the destruction of property worth several million Naira.

by Jerry Ladan

Jerry Ladan writes for ViewPointNigeria from Jos, Nigeria.

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Flooding: Up to 300 houses destroyed in Jos North, Barkin Ladi, Shendam and Kanam