Over 600 People De@d In An ‘Overwhelming’ Nigerian Floods

Recent flooding in Nigeria has become an “overwhelming” disaster, and many states were not properly prepared for them despite warnings, the minister for disaster management has said.

More than 600 people have died in the worst flooding the West African nation has seen in a decade.

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Some 1.3million people have been displaced and over 200,000 homes have been destroyed. Flooding is expected to continue until the end of November.

Nigeria is used to seasonal flooding but this year has been significantly worse than usual. The government has said unusually heavy rains and climate change are to blame.

The emergency release of excess water from dams both in Nigeria and in neighbouring Cameroon was another key factor causing devastating flooding.

Since the flooding began in early summer, large swathes of farmland have been destroyed. There are concerns about the increased spread of disease, and food and fuel supplies have also been disrupted.

In a press conference on Sunday, Nigeria’s minister for humanitarian affairs and disaster management, Sadiya Umar Farouk, called on local authorities to evacuate people living in the riskiest areas.

Authorities are already providing food and other support to those affected, she said.

Meanwhile, a young army captain who led the latest coup in Burkina Faso was on Friday “unanimously” named interim president until elections are held in July 2024, two members of the ruling junta told AFP.

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Captain Ibrahim Traore, 34, led disgruntled junior officers in the second coup in eight months to hit the jihadist-torn West African country.

Some 300 delegates from political parties, social and religious groups, security forces, unions as well as people displaced by jihadist violence took part in a national forum on Friday.

Held in the capital, Ouagadougou, it discussed the country’s future before power is supposed to return to civilians.

“Captain Traore has just been unanimously designated president of the transition (government) by the national forum,” a member of the nation’s junta said.