About 6, 654 persons trapped by the flood that submerged communities in Ibaji Local Government area of Kogi State were evacuated from to safe locations by the National Emergency Management Agency, Director General of the agency Alhaji Muhammad Sani Sidi has said.
He said this in Lokoja at the official presentation of medical items, tents and mobile toilets to the Kogi State Government for improvement of health and sanitation condition of the various IDP camps in the State.
Represented by the Director Search and Rescue Air Commodore Charles Otegbade, the NEMA boss said the intervention was part of the agency’s mandate to provide succor in alleviating the suffering of those affected by the disaster after the successful search and rescue operations.
“Immediately the agency received distress call indicating people were trapped and rendered homeless while many were hanging on the rooftops and trees, the agency activated the relevant stakeholders that immediately responded in the evacuation of the stranded citizens,” he said.
He explained that the boats of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) were used for the evacuations, however due to the minimal passenger carrying capacity of NIWA’s boats, local boats and cannoes were also engaged in the operations. He further said that the total number of the evacuated persons were made up of 2551 children, 2165 women and 1938 men were rescued from 33 communities in Ibaji and taken to safety in the nearby Idah local government area.
Receiving the items on behalf of the state government, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Omede Idris appreciated the agency for the kind gesture. He assured that the items would be judiciously used.
