Flood Claims 29 Lives In Kebbi State, Destroys Large Farmlands Of Rice, Maize Amid Fear Of Food Crisis
The devastation has affected key crops like rice, maize, and guinea corn, sparking fears of food shortages.
Floodwaters have ravaged Kebbi State, killing 29 people and destroying 321,000 houses and 858,000 farmlands across 16 out of 21 local government areas.
The devastation has affected key crops like rice, maize, and guinea corn, sparking fears of food shortages.
Briefing journalists in Birnin Kebbi on Friday, the state Commissioner for Information, Yakubu Ahmed, warned, “If help did not come to the affected areas where rice, maize, guinea corn, and other crops were destroyed by the flood, there might be a shortage of food in the state and Nigeria at large.”
Ahmed highlighted that before NiMET predicted Kebbi would be worst hit, the state had already faced significant flooding due to water from Goronyo dam and the convergence of waters from River Rima and River Kaa through River Niger. Despite government efforts, the state remained vulnerable.
“Only 5 out of the 16 local governments of the state are minimally affected. The flood had destroyed farmlands, bridges, and thousands of households,” he said. He confirmed the death toll with “seven persons in Shanga, eight in Maiyama, five in Kalgo, seven in Jega, and two in Birnin Kebbi so far.”
Ahmed urged the federal government, corporations, and individuals to provide urgent support, as the scale of the damage was beyond what the state government could handle alone.
