Koko Maxwella 
MINNA, Nigeria – The Niger State Emergency Management Agency, (NSEMA) has warned residents of riverine communities to move to higher ground as four major dams release excess water, raising the risk of severe flooding.
In a statement Thursday, NSEMA Director General, Abdullahi Baba Arah said water is being discharged from the Shiroro, Jebba, Kainji, and Zungeru dams, creating threats of overflow along the Niger and Kaduna rivers.
“The dams are currently releasing thousands of gallons of water per minute, increasing the risk of flooding. We strongly advise residents to relocate to designated safe zones,” Baba Arah said.
He also urged residents to avoid riverbank activities during the rainy season and warned of possible windstorms in the coming weeks, citing forecasts from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet). “People should avoid taking shelter under trees or weak structures during storms,” he said.
Flooding has already caused significant damage in several local government areas, washing away farmlands, houses, bridges, and roads. Families have been displaced, and socio-economic activities disrupted in communities both upstream and downstream of the dams.
The affected LGAs include Lavun, Magama, Rafi, Kontagora, Gbako, Mokwa, Lapai, Katcha, Agaie, Suleja, Shiroro, Mashegu, Agwara, Bida, Edati, Munya, Bosso, Chanchaga, Paikoro, and Wushishi.
Baba Arah confirmed that lives had been lost but did not provide casualty figures.
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