Five communities in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara state have been submerged by flood from the River Niger.

The affected communities, which are all close to the river, include Fangan, Ikpata Jebba, Elebu, Budo-Ode and Lanwa, had many of their houses submerged in the flood.

The flood, which also reportedly washed away farmlands in the affected communities, had also left many residents in the area homeless and without food.

Chairman of the local government, Saka Eleyele, who presented some food items to the people after touring affected communities, called on the state government to come to the aid of the communities.
He appealed to the government to urgently repair a bridge linking Elebu with many other communities in the local government, saying that the bridge had partially been broken by the flood.

Meanwhile, the state government has restated its earlier warning that communities close to rivers and which are prone to flood should relocate to safer places.

Abdulrasaq Jimoh, who on behalf of the governor, Abdullahi Ahmed, toured the affected communities, while sympathising with the victims of the disaster, said that both the federal and the state governments had repeatedly warned that residents in flood-prone areas should relocate to avoid flood disaster.

A team of meteorologists from the federal government, which also toured the affected communities, re-echoed the warning that people in flood-prone areas should relocate.

Head of the team, Daniel Okafor, said that a large quantity of water had been released from Cameroon dam which may soon flow to Nigeria and worsen flood situation in the country.

• Sourced from a Sunday Tribune report