Two Dead as Flooding Submerges More Than 18 Nasarawa Communities
NASARAWA — At least two people have died after severe flooding submerged more than 18 communities in Doma Local Government Area, destroying homes and farmlands and forcing residents onto higher ground as authorities assess the scale of the disaster.
Nasarawa State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Nawani Aboki, confirmed the deaths and damage while briefing journalists in Lafia.
The flooding affected communities in the Eke Development Area along the River Benue, with homes, roads and farmland among the losses reported.
State officials said residents displaced from vulnerable settlements had moved to higher ground in areas including Agyema, Agbachi and Rukubi.
Displacement figure remains unsettled
The number of people displaced has not been conclusively established.
The state commissioner described hundreds of residents as displaced, while an earlier assessment by the Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency estimated roughly 4,000 to 5,000 people across 11 communities.
Later assessments identified seven additional affected communities, taking the number of submerged communities beyond 18.
Because the figures come from different stages of the assessment, IDNN is not combining them into a single displacement total.
Homes, farms and livelihoods hit
Beyond the two confirmed deaths, the flooding has damaged homes and farmland in communities where agriculture provides food and income.
That means the consequences extend beyond immediate evacuation.
Affected families face pressure over temporary shelter, food, healthcare and the loss of crops and livelihoods.
Officials have also warned residents against returning to vulnerable low-lying areas while flood risks remain unresolved.
Relief response now under scrutiny
Governor Abdullahi Sule directed the state emergency management agency to assess affected communities and determine what assistance is required.
Authorities have said relief, food and medical support are being prepared.
However, preparation or an official directive does not establish that assistance has already reached every affected community.
That makes the next accountability question clear:
How quickly will emergency support reach displaced families, and what assistance will remain after the floodwaters recede?
The state government says assessment work is continuing.
Until that process is completed, the full scale of destroyed homes, farmland and displacement remains uncertain.
For communities around Doma, the immediate priority is safety.
The longer test will be whether families who have lost shelter, crops and income receive enough support to recover after the water retreats.
WHAT TO WATCH
- Any change in the confirmed death toll
- NASEMA’s updated displacement assessment
- Relief distribution to affected communities
- Health risks in displacement areas
- Damage to roads, homes and farmland
- Official guidance on when residents may safely return