The National Emergency Management Agency has deployed search and rescue teams to flood affected states as heavy rainfall continues to cause deaths, displacement and destruction of property across Nigeria.
NEMA said its operational offices had been activated following flood alerts, with teams directed to assess affected communities, coordinate with local emergency agencies and support rescue operations.
The agency said affected locations include parts of Bauchi, Edo, Bayelsa, Anambra, Rivers, Delta, Benue, Osun, Ekiti, Abia and other states. Several communities have reported submerged homes, damaged roads, destroyed farms and disrupted economic activities.
NEMA spokesperson, Manzo Ezekiel, said the agency was not lowering its guard because the rainy season was still ongoing. He said search and rescue teams had been instructed to visit affected locations and work with local resources.
NEMA also said it would provide technical assistance and reinforce local emergency responses, while relief materials would be made available to affected residents.
The agency had earlier activated its zonal directorates and operations offices after a high risk flood alert covering 15 states, including Rivers, Edo, Bayelsa, Anambra, Benue, Taraba, Delta and Abia.
Authorities have urged residents in flood prone communities to heed weather warnings, avoid waterways and move to safer locations when necessary.
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