At least 801 displaced by flood in Zamfara

Alhaji Sanusi Mohammed, the Executive Secretary of the Zamfara State Emergency Management Agency, on Wednesday said more than 801 persons were displaced by flood in Maru town.

In a telephone interview with News Agency of Nigeria, Mohammad said the affected persons included 180 women and 621 children.

He said 52 houses and farmlands were also destroyed during the disaster, which occurred on July 29.

The executive secretary also said the National Emergency Management Agency and its counterpart in the state had visited the town.

Mohammed said: “NEMA and SEMA have visited the affected town and conducted a joint assessment of the disaster.

“We will forward such assessment to our respective agencies for immediate assistance.”

Mohammad called on residents of the state to avoid blocking drainages or constructing structures on water ways to avoid similar disasters.

The Nigeria Metrological Agency had recently warned people along major rivers in parts of the country to vacate their houses to prevent loss of lives and property due to anticipated flooding the rivers.

Similarly, NEMA had alerted Nigerians of possible flood in some of the states in the North and urged people and relevant authorities to prepare for emergency.