Flood hits Adamawa community

Anguwan Tana, a community in Yola North LGA, was submerged on Thursday by overflow from River Kilange and River Faro.

The farming settlement in the state capital lies on the shore of the River Benue, which runs across Yola.

Residents of the community lamented the destruction of their farms following the heavy flood.

Visiting the affected area on Friday, the Executive Secretary of the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency, ADSEMA, Dr Mohammed Suleiman, said the agony of the people would have been averted if they had heeded warnings about possible flooding.

“Before the inception of the rainy season, when we received the prediction of flooding, we had warned them,” the ADSEMA boss told newsmen.

While stressing the need for them to always cooperate with government, he assured them of food and non-food relief items.

The ward head of the community, Malam Rabiu Ibrahim, attributed the flood to inadequate drainage and appealed to the state government to intervene in that regard.

One of the victims, Aisha Mohammed, a mother of 10, said: “We have children, and the water is very dirty. It constitutes a health and environmental hazard, so government should please do something about it and relocate us to a safer place.”

She said further: “Although government has been warning us about the flood, we don’t have any place to go. This is the only place we have.”