By Busari Kabirat
Following the recent Maiduguri, Borno State’s disastrous flood caused by the collapse of the Alau Dam, people residing in the Nigeria coastal states are anxious about the reocurrence of similar tragedies due to the reported release of excess water from Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), had in September issued a serious warning about the likelihood of such flood reoccurrence which might affect almost 11 states as a result of water being released from Lagdo Dam.
The states at risk includes Anambra, Bayelsa, Rivers, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Taraba, Benue, Kogi, Edo, Delta and Cross River.
NIHSA urged residents and government officials in these areas to “heighten their vigilance and implement appropriate preparedness measures” to mitigate the potential impact of flooding, especially given the expected increase in flow levels of major rivers.
Meanwhile, the Maiduguri and parts of Borno State recent flooding wasn’t as a result of the water released from Lagdo Dam, just that the dam’s release could cause more havoc than the one witnessed in 2022, noting that the water levels of the Niger and Benue Rivers are already rising, despite the Cameroonian authorities characterizing the release as gradual.
In Delta State, residents of communities such as Irri in Isoko South Local Government Area have begun relocating from flood-prone areas to higher ground due to rising water levels.
Umar Muhammed, NIHSA’s Director-General, stressed the important of evacuating from flood plains, which local governments to expedite evacuations and provide support to internally displaced persons. He said: “The water discharge is projected to increase to 1,000 m³/s over the next seven days, driven by inflow from the upstream Garoua River, which is a primary source for the reservoir and a major tributary of the Benue River.”
The spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ezekiel Manzo, made known that the excess water release from Lagdo Dam is currently ongoing and contributing to the rising water levels of the Benue River, noting that this release is crucial to prevent potential damage to the dam that could occur if its capacity is exceeded.
He said, “A dam break would cause significant destruction in Nigeria, similar to the recent incident in Maiduguri involving the much smaller Alau Dam.”
