At least two people have died after severe flooding submerged 18 communities in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, destroying homes and farmlands and forcing residents to flee their homes.
The state government has urged people living in flood-prone areas to move to higher ground and avoid returning to affected settlements until the water has receded.
The Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Nawani Aboki, disclosed the casualties on Monday while briefing journalists on the impact of the disaster.
Aboki said Governor Abdullahi Sule had directed the Director-General of the Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency (NASEMA) to visit the affected communities, assess the destruction and determine the support required.
He said the government was expected to begin taking concrete steps to assist victims after the assessment.
Aboki, who visited some of the affected areas alongside the local government chairman, said the scale of the flooding was severe and expressed hope that the water would soon recede, allowing residents to return to their normal activities.
However, he warned that residents should remain away from their homes until it was clear that the floodwaters were retreating towards the River Benue.
He raised concerns that additional water releases from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon could worsen the situation if residents returned prematurely.
The commissioner also assured affected communities that the government was committed to providing relief materials and other assistance, including measures to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks arising from the flooding.
He explained that the impact extended beyond individual settlements because several smaller communities were concentrated around larger towns, placing additional pressure on areas accommodating displaced residents.
Aboki cited Agyma, where more than eight communities were reportedly gathered within the larger settlement, as well as Rukubi and Akpanaja, where multiple communities were similarly clustered.
The state government said it would continue monitoring the situation and use findings from the ongoing assessment to determine the necessary interventions as affected residents wait for the floodwaters to subside.
