Heavy flooding has wreaked havoc in Azuoto, Okpuitumo Community in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi, destroying many farmlands and people’s property, worth millions of naira.
One of the victims of the incident in Abakaliki, Chinyere Nworie, said that her rice, yam and cassava farms were submerged by flood.
Mrs Nworie said the incident had become a perennial experience in the area due to the nearness of the Azuoto and Ebony Rivers, linking the River Niger.
She further said that no fewer than 96 households in the area were affected by the disaster.
She said, “This flood happened on Saturday, following Friday’s heavy downpour.
“Our farms have been taken over by the rain flood.
“Our community has always suffered flooding every year, especially whenever it rained heavily and water overflows the Ebonyi River bank,” Mrs Nworie said.
Also, another resident, Amauche Agbo, described the incident as “unfortunate”.
The victims appealed to the government at all levels to come to their aid with relief materials to cushion the effect of the disaster on them.
Reacting to the development, the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Uche Oba, said the agency had commenced an assessment of the affected communities.
Mr Oba said the incident had been a worrisome phenomenon to the state government.
