By Amos Aar
THE ACTING Executive Secretary, Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA), Mr James Iorpuu, has once again, urged Benue people living in flood-prone areas to leave immediately as River Benue’s water level has risen to 0.9 metres.
“This is to once again appeal to people living along water banks to start moving to higher grounds immediately.
“The level of water in river Benue as at this morning is 09.55 meters and this is alarming. Kindly heed to this advice and relocate to the designated areas nearer to you,” BSEMA information officer, Mr Tema Ager, quoted Iorpuu to have cautioned in a statement on Sunday.
Recall that the BSEMA acting executive secretary had last Tuesday alerted residents “living within a one-kilometer radius of riverbanks” to relocate immediately as a heavy downpour was to be experienced for five executive days, begining from Monday, September 16, 2024 according to weather updates which he received from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA).
National Record has also gathered that Cameronian authorities have also released excess water from Lagdo dam. It has become a yearly occurrence since 2012 as Benue is flooded whenever Cameron releases water from the Lagdo dam.
National Record however observed that in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, where many areas were profiled as being prone to the looming flood, there has been no serious rainfall from September 16, 2024 up to today, September 22, 2024, as predicted by NEMA and NIHSA. Thus, the rising water level in the river Benue may be as a result of the release of excess water from the Cameron’s Lagdo dam.
The BSEMA boss had also during the early warning last Tuesday listed the designated camps for residents in high-risk areas to relocate to. In Makurdi, he urged those living in Kanshio, Logo 1 and 2, Achusa, Judges Quarters, Behind Hotel Lucia, and near BSU to move to the Makurdi International School along George Akume Road while residents of Kucha Utebe, Brewery, Gyado Villa, Mu, and Wurukum were directed to move to LGEA Primary School Wurukum (popularly known as Suswam Thank You).Those in Rice Mill, Agboughul, Tionsha, and Wadata were told to relocate to NKST Primary School Wadata while residents in North Bank were to move to St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School.
Iorpuu added that for the residents of Abinsi, LGEA Primary School Abinsi was the designated camp, and those in Gbajimba were urged to relocate to Government Secondary School, Gbajimba.
While he urged residents in Otukpo to move to St. Francis, Otukpo and those in Agatu to move to Oweto, the acting executive secretary advised people in Ugbokolo, Ogbokpo, Mbapa, and Uikpiam “to seek safer grounds close to them, where they could be accessed by BSEMA.”
