The Federal Government yesterday requested Nigerians, particularly those living along the banks of the River Niger to immediately relocate to safer locations away from the river in view of an imminent heavy downpour forecasted to happen in mid-2016.
The National Orientation Agency, NOA, disclosed this in a press statement signed by the deputy director of press of the agency, Mr. Fidel Agu, explaining that the alert was necessitated by intelligence reports from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, as well as the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UN-OCHA.
The report indicated that the Niger River Basin, traversing the Republics of Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria would be flooded, warning that an estimated one hundred and five thousand Nigerians would be among the one hundred million people affected along the flood path of the over two million square kilometres Niger River Basin.
The agency called on Nigerians to take serious precautions, including relocation from the banks of the Niger River and minimizing activities on the river, to avoid being victims of the flood, adding that traditional rulers and other leaders of flood prone communities along the Niger River flood path are encouraged to take necessary measures in the coming weeks to mobilize their communities for urgent action to avoid loss of lives and property by the flood.
The statement, however, assured Nigerians that all relevant government organs and other stakeholders have been alerted and measures are being put in place to ensure the safety of Nigerians despite the flood. The agency further urged Nigerians to cooperate with government and its agencies towards mitigating the effects of the imminent flood.
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