NIGERIA: LOKOJA FLOOD: Stranded passengers sell personal effects to eat

As FRSC closes Abuja-Lokoja road •Crocodiles, other dangerous animals invade area

SOME passengers travelling from the southern part of the country and heading to the North but got stranded in Lokoja, Kogi State, as a result of the flood are now selling their belongings and personal effects to survive.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the passengers who got stranded in Lokoja since Friday as a result of the flood, could no longer bear the situation because some of them did not have money.

A female passenger, who confirmed this to Nigerian Tribune said she had to sell one of her gold earrings for her to survive.

According to her, she left Onitsha, Anambra State, with just her transport fare but when they got to Lokoja, she discovered that the road had been submerged as a result of the flood.

She further said that since she did not have money on her, she decided to sell her gold earring to survive as she was not sure when they are going to leave the place.

Other passengers, who could not hide their feelings while speaking with Nigerian Tribune equally lamented, saying there was no hope in sight yet.

According to them, many of them had lost so many things since they could not make it to their destinations, because their trip was purely on business.

One Mr Okon, who spoke with Nigerian Tribune while lamenting, said he was travelling to Abuja for an urgent business, noting that he had lost the opportunity since he could not get to Abuja to finalise the business.

Another victim, Mrs Teresa Okeke, said she was coming from Enugu in the hope of getting to Kaduna on Friday but, unfortunately, she got trapped as a result of the flood which cut the Abuja-Lokoja highway.

A pregnant woman, who also narrated her experience to the Nigerian Tribune, said the situation was critical.

She noted that she was told before she left Delta State that River Niger had submerged the road, adding that she thought it was a lie until they got to Lokoja.

She appealed to the Federal Government to find an alternative route for motorists, so that they could get out of the situation.

Meanwhile, victims currently at the St Luke Primary School relief camp are complaining of inadequate feeding.

Some of the victims, who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune, said since the camp was opened on Friday, they had not been having three square meal daily, adding that the environment was not conducive.

According to one of the victims, who only gave his name as Ibrahim, he was only given bread in the morning and was not sure of another meal.

Another victim, who craved anonymity, said officials of the camp were only distributing raw rice to them, saying they were not comfortable at the camp.

According to him, most of them did not sleep due to mosquito bites, as the nets distributed by the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) officials did not go round.

Other victims also complained of not feeding well, saying that the government was not doing enough to help their predicament.

However, the head of the Red Cross team at the camps, Charles Akubo, denied the claims, saying they were well taken care of.

“We when we came, we had the plan of cooking for them, but when we sampled their opinions, they said we should give them raw food so that they can be cooking for themselves. If we were doing the cooking, at least a bag of rice is enough for a day. They all eat well,” he said.

According to him, 734 persons were at the camp, adding that since it concerned the government, people must always complain.

Reptiles now attack residents

Meanwhile, as flood from River Niger continues to paralyse activities in Kogi State, residents of Lokoja and other areas now live in fear, as reptiles now attack people in the state.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that animals washed away by the flood were making their way to where the people resided.

Lokoja-Abuja highway closes

The state sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has announced the temporary closure of the Lokoja-Abuja highway, due to increase in the volume of water on the road.

The state sector commander of the FRSC, Muhammed Garba, who disclosed this to newsmen, said the road had to be closed temporarily to avoid casualty.

He said since the volume of water on the road kept increasing, thereby making it dificult for vehicles to ply, they were directed to close the road to motorists.

In another press statement, the Corps Public Education Officer, Jonas Agwu, the FRSC said it had mapped out four designated routes for motorists to ply.

FG assures on immediate solutions

Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolemen, has assured Nigerians that immediate solutions will be put in place to address the plights of those affected by the overflow of Niger and Benue rivers.

The minister, who named the flooding in Kogi State as “a national disaster,” gave the assurance on Monday, during his visit to the state governor, Captain Idris Wada, in Lokoja.

Leading the presidential team, which included the Minister of Environment and chairman, Presidential Committee on the Assessment of Flood Disaster, Hajia Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia; Minister of Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Ochepe; Executive Secreatary, Red Cross, Alhaji Bello Diram and chief executives of Julius Berger, RCC, Dantata and Sagoye, the minister said “the level of water currently devastating the state has not been witnessed in the last 100 years.”

He said the team arrived in the state with the construction giants to evolve ways to solve the problems caused by the disaster.

Governor Wada expressed gratitude to President Jonathan for the intervention, saying that “the Federal Government has shown that it is willing to share in the pains of the people.”

..........YEKINI JIMOH, LOKOJA/NIGERIAN TRIBUNE