By Emmanuel Awari-Jalingo
Several communities in Kunini, Lau Local Government Area of Taraba State are severely flooded following a heavy downpour.
The rain also destroyed crops, killed livestock, and displaced hundreds of people.
Household properties belonging to community members, worth millions, were destroyed as a result of the heavy rain, which led to massive flooding.
Peter Julius, Taraba State Commissioner for Urban and Rural Development, who is from the area, told our correspondent that the flood is massive and has caused serious damage to the communities.
“The flood is massive, is currently ongoing, we are running here and there to save the people, their properties worth millions have been destroyed, their livestock have been carried away by the heavy water, for now, our first priority is to relocate them to a safe area, particularly women and children. It is a difficult time for the people,” Julius stated.
Yohanna Kwana, a community leader from Kunini, revealed that the flood is the first of its kind since the settlement in the area, and that the water took the people by surprise in the early hours of Thursday.
“We have been living here for hundreds of years, it is true that water used to come, but it used to pass through the water channels, it has never taken over people’s houses like it happened today, we are calling on both the federal and state governments to come to our aid, we lost almost all our livelihoods to the flood.
“Life is going to be terrible from here, since our crops have been washed away, our animals have been drowned, and foodstuffs in our houses have been soaked with water, please, government and spirited individuals should come to our aid – he stated.