By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja
The fear of flood has become the beginning of wisdom for residents of riverine communities in kogi state many of whom have embarked on evacuation,among other precautionary measures, to avert any calamity resulting from such natural phenomenon.
A correspondent of The Reporters who visited the bank of River Niger and Benue in Lokoja, recently, reports that some residents living close to the bank of river have started relocating to the hinterland.
They told the online in various interviews that they embarked on self evacuation as a precautionary measure to avoid the mistake of the past where flood caught them unawares.
Mallam Abubakar Saliu told The Reporters that he noticed the gradual increase in the volume of the river, adding that having once beaten by flood, he decided to be twice shine by relocating to safe place before the worse happen.
The Reporters also noticed that some residents of Adankolo in Lokoja, the state capital, staying close to the river bank have also relocated to areas such as GRA, Army Barrack area, Zango dahi, Felele, Ibaji quarters among others.
Outside the state capital, investigation by the media outfit also revealed that riverine residents such as those in Edeha, Eggan,Ibaji, kotonkarfe among others, have also taken to precautionary measures,citing same reason.
The online publication recalls that, worried by the delay in rainfall in kogi state this year, clerics of the two predominant religions: Islam and Christianity, embarked on intensive prayer for almighty Allah/God to “send down the rain.”
Few weeks after their supplications, Lokoja and other parts of the state began to experience appreciable volume of rainfall.
Kogi state is among many states of federation NiMET predicted would experience flood this year and admonished residents living close to river banks to relocate to safe places, among other precautionary measures.
Kogi state was also among the states in the country that flood visited in 2012 during which more than half of its 21 local government areas were submerged and farm produce as well as property worth millions of naira lost.
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www.thenigerianpost.com.ng
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