MAKURDI, Nigeria (The Informant247) – Residents of flooded areas in central Nigeria’s Benue state on Thursday fled ahead of a high tide expected to worsen floods that have inundated their homes.
At least 300 people have died and over 100,000 displaced across Nigeria after recent torrential rains in the past few months caused severe flooding.
Floods on the banks of major rivers forced authorities to evacuate residents.
“Water level is increasing because of the increase in water level from the dam in Cameroon. We are encouraging people to leave the coastal areas to other safer areas,” Commissioner of Water Resources and Environment Godwin Oyiwona told reporters on Friday.
“We are handling the area of rise in water level which is 11.1meter as at Thursday evening and the water is still coming. In 2012 when there was massive flooding in Benue State, it was 12meters. So, it is about .9m to get to that and we are warning people to move away from the coastal line to higher grounds.”