FLOODING KILLS 245, DISPLACES OVER 214,000 ACROSS 28 STATES, NEMA REPORTS

Disaster management agency reveals 673,000 citizens affected across 134 local government areas as intense torrential rainfall and dam releases devastate farmlands and housing infrastructure nationwide

Severe flooding across Nigeria has claimed 245 lives and displaced 214,997 people as persistent torrential rainfall and river overflows continue to inundate communities nationwide.

According to updated operational data released by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the disaster has affected over 673,350 individuals across 134 local government areas in 28 states.

The disaster management agency reported that expansive farmlands, residential structures, and critical public infrastructure have been destroyed across frontline riverine basins along the Niger and Benue rivers. The rapid rise in water levels has been further aggravated by controlled dam water releases and continuous localized downpours.

NEMA Director-General Zubaida Umar noted that search and rescue teams, alongside state emergency management agencies (SEMAs), remain deployed to coordinate relief distribution, activate temporary displaced persons' shelters, and evacuate vulnerable populations from high-risk floodplains.

Federal emergency authorities have reiterated calls to state governments and local authorities along major waterways to step up proactive disaster response protocols, enforce physical evacuations from low-lying areas, and clear blocked drainage networks to mitigate further loss of life and property.