By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
Residents of Lokoja, kogi State capital, especially those living along the bank of Rivers Niger and Benue, expressed fear of possible flood following a 24-hour rainfall in the area.
The Correspondent of The Reporters in Lokoja reports on Monday that, the Confluence Lokoja town witnessed a rainfall that commenced on Sunday morning, almost on a continuous basis, upto Monday morning.
Our Correspondent, who visited one of the banks of River Niger in Gadumo layout of Ganaja,a suburb of Lokoja on Monday, reports that there is however,no cause for alarm yet as the level of water though rose but remained at tolerable level.
However, some residents of the area told the online publication that they were warming to relocate to safe abode in case the rain continues and the volume of water rises to the level of threatening their living.
The Reporters recalls that more than half of the 21 local government areas of kogi State were submerged in 2012, following a monumental flood that destroyed property, including agrcultural products and rendered thousands of people homeless.
Our Correspondent also reports that many houses in Lokoja witnessed gushing out of water from the ground as a result on the Sunday/Monday rainfall, raising fear of blockage of channels and pulling down of walls of fences other environment problems, if such rain continues.
Water gushing out of ground to the compound of the houses in Gadumo during the rainfall
In another development, many parts of Lokoja and its environs have been thrown into darkness running to 24 hours as at the time of this report.
The management of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC which confirmed the problem in a statement,a copy of which was made available to The Reporters, attributed the problem to switching equipment at Zango, another suburb of Lokoja.
The company said it is not resting on its oars as it is trying to connect through an alternate source in solving the problem.
AEDC fingered the rainfall in the area as the factor hindering its efforts in rectifying the problem due to the wet nature but promised to restore normalcy in electricity supply “as soon as the weather improves and it is conducive and safe enough for the operation”.
