The catastrophic flood that engulfed the whole Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State claimed the lives of no fewer than six people, including a toddler.
Following a boat that capsized on Tuesday while attempting to transport villagers across to Ganaja village from the Gadumo area in Lokoja, two of the victims were brought ashore by divers.
Through its public relations officer, SP William Aya, the Kogi State Police Command confirmed this on Wednesday
“Yes, I can confirm that two bodies were discovered by divers following a boat mishap on Tuesday when trying to ferry residents across the flooded parts of Ganaja-Lokoja road.”
Additionally, Williams Iko-Ojo, the chairman of the Ibaji Local Government Council, stated to journalists that the local government’s entire farmland had been destroyed and that four people, including a toddler, had been slain.
According to him, “As I’m speaking with you right now, there is no single habitable land in Ibaji, everywhere has been submerged and people are in a devastating condition.
“To be honest, the humanitarian crisis is beyond what the local government can tackle and we are calling on the National Emergency Management Agency, the State Emergency Management Agency and all relevant authorities to come to the aid of my people.”
In the same spirit, Ajofe John Egwemi, the Ejeh of Ibaji and Chairman of the Ibaji Traditional Council, urged the Federal Government to finish dredging the River Niger and start building dams as a long-term remedy for the floods.
“I feel very devastated with the magnitude and the destructions that have come from the flood disaster. Usually, we do experience flooding of farmlands between August and October but not of this magnitude,” he added.
Sadly, the Ibaji Local Government Area, an agricultural community known for its agricultural products, has been completely inundated by the flood.
In the meantime, Kingsley Fanwo, the state’s commissioner for information and communication strategy, told our correspondent in an interview that the state administration was working nonstop to address the issues that the people were having as a result of the devastating flood.
problems being faced by the people as a result of the ravaging flood.
“We are deploying safety and health experts to cater for the needs of the displaced people. They are our responsibility and we will not spare any resources to protect them. The reason we have government is to provide for the needs of the citizens. We will never shirk our responsibility to our people,” he said.
