States on High Alert as Flood Death Toll Climbs in Adamawa
States on High Alert as Flood Death Toll Climbs in Adamawa
Following the devastating flood that struck parts of Adamawa State on Sunday—leaving dozens, many of them children, missing and hundreds displaced—states across the country are on high alert to prevent a similar disaster.
Floodwaters caused extensive destruction in communities such as Shagari Low Cost and Yolde Pate in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, prompting widespread emergency response efforts nationwide. States including Anambra, Sokoto, Gombe, Edo, Ogun, and Bayelsa have begun activating flood preparedness measures, which include clearing drainage systems, inspecting dam conditions, and ramping up public awareness campaigns in response to warnings from meteorological agencies about a potentially severe flood season.
Heavy rainfall reportedly began around 1 a.m. and intensified through the early morning hours. By 3 a.m., homes in areas like Shagari and Sabon Pegi had started collapsing as floodwaters surged through streets and into residences.
Initial reports indicated two fatalities, with dozens—particularly children—still unaccounted for following over six hours of continuous rainfall. Victims said more than 600 homes were swept away, with many families still searching for missing loved ones.
As of the latest updates, at least eight people have been confirmed dead. In Sapon Pegi, two children were reportedly swept away, and their bodies were recovered by officials from the National Emergency Management Agency, according to reports from humanitarian-focused sources.
In Ibunu Abbas community, also known as Yola bypass, locals said NEMA officials pulled out six dead bodies, four of the bodies men who were said to be workers in a bakery while the other two were children found alongside a drainage system.
The bodies have been deposited at the morgue in the Moddibo Adamawa Teaching Hospital, Yola.
A tearful Abubakar Adamu, a resident of Sabon Pegi, said, “Many lives were lost, especially children. We’re still trying to confirm the exact number of casualties in this ugly disaster.”
When the press sought confirmation of the death toll, the PPRO, Adamawa State Police Command, SP Suleiman Nguroje, said he could not give a definite number, adding that efforts were still ongoing to rescue more residents of the affected areas.
“The Adamawa State Police Command’s operatives deployed to the affected areas are still searching and rescuing the victims of the flooding,” Nguroje said.
“As law enforcement officers, we stand with full strength and solidarity with the affected communities during this difficult time.”
Following the devastating flooding in Mokwa that claimed several lives, NEMA last month deployed officials to 15 high-risk states, including Adamawa, to intensify public awareness on the looming flood threats and the urgent need for residents in vulnerable areas to relocate.
Only last week, the Executive Secretary of the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Celine Laori, issued a renewed warning to residents in low-lying areas, advising them to relocate to higher ground to prevent loss of lives amid rising flood threats.
