Severe flooding has struck Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, submerging houses, farmlands, and public infrastructure, and forcing residents to navigate their community using wooden canoes.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports from Onitsha on Wednesday that Ogbaru, a flood-prone area, has once again suffered extensive damage due to rising water levels from the River Niger, following days of persistent rainfall.
A NAN correspondent who visited the affected communities observed that many residents were seen wading through floodwaters, with homes, farmlands, roads, and both public and private facilities completely inundated.
Due to the submerged road network, residents have resorted to paddling canoes to access their daily needs and destinations.
In response to the situation, the Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr. Paul Odenigbo, said that communities in flood-prone areas had been adequately sensitised about the anticipated flooding.
He noted that this current stage marks only the beginning of the flooding season, warning that water levels would continue to rise in the coming days.
“All flood-prone areas in Anambra were properly sensitised, so residents are not taken unawares,” Odenigbo stated. “We are also preparing our field personnel to assist in evacuation efforts and are getting the holding centres ready by cleaning, fumigating, and equipping them for possible occupancy.”
He explained that while evacuation plans are in place, convincing some residents to relocate remains a challenge, as many are used to annual flooding and often downplay the risks.
“The high water level is nothing new to them. They’ve lived with it year after year. So, when you ask them to move, they sometimes laugh it off, because in their view, nothing serious has happened yet,” he said.
Efforts to obtain comments from the Anambra State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Felix Odumegwu, were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls or messages sent to his phone.
