NEMA Deploys Rescue Teams As Floods Ravage States
Anger, anxiety and uncertainty have gripped communities across several states as torrential rainfall and flooding killed residents, displaced families, submerged homes, damaged roads and other infrastructure, and disrupted economic activities.
The flooding has affected communities across the country, with farmers, traders and business owners reporting significant losses. Roads and bridges have also been washed away in some areas, cutting off communities, while schools and health facilities have equally been affected.
The development followed a warning by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency that more rainfall should be expected, particularly as the rainy season remains at its peak in the central and southern parts of the country.
The National Emergency Management Agency said it had deployed search and rescue teams to states affected by the latest flooding incidents, as authorities intensified efforts to protect communities and respond to emergencies.
NEMA Head of Media and Public Relations, Manzo Ezekiel, said the agency had activated its operational offices following a flood alert issued the previous week.
He said although the situation was not as severe as it was during the same period last year, NEMA would not lower its guard while the rainy season continued.
“So far, the records are better than incidents of last year. But we are not lowering our guard yet, because the season is still on,” Ezekiel said.
He explained that NEMA had directed its search and rescue teams to visit affected locations, coordinate with local resources and sensitise residents on the dangers associated with flooding.
Ezekiel added that a team led by the Director of Search and Rescue was scheduled to move to Ebonyi State before proceeding to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he said the flooding situation was already serious.
According to him, flooding was caused by both natural and human factors, including poor town planning, construction on waterways and blocked drainage channels. He added that sustained rainfall had also caused some waterways to overflow.
He said NEMA and the Federal Government would provide technical assistance and reinforce local response efforts, while relief materials would be distributed to affected residents.
The latest incidents were reported in Bauchi, Edo, Bayelsa, Imo, Rivers, Osun, Ekiti, Abia, Anambra, Benue and Delta states, while emergency officials in Kano, Yobe, Nasarawa and Zamfara also provided updates on the impact of the rainy season.
In Bauchi State, the State Emergency Management Agency identified Toro, Bauchi, Ningi, Shira, Gamawa and Kirfi as the six local government areas worst affected by disasters during the rainy season.
The agency’s Director of Disaster Management, Adamu Nayola, said Toro, Bauchi, Ningi, Shira and Gamawa were particularly affected by windstorms and heavy downpours, while Kirfi recorded flooding.
Nayola said two deaths had been recorded in Kirfi, while thousands of houses and other properties were reportedly damaged. He added that no Internally Displaced Persons camp had been established because most affected residents were staying with relatives.
In Edo State, residents of Enwan community in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area were thrown into panic following the overflow of the Ojirami Dam, which flooded the Enwan-Igarra-Ososo Expressway after a heavy downpour on Sunday, September 27.
A community leader, Dr Agbadua Bamidele, expressed concern that continued rainfall could lead to the submergence of the community, recalling that the dam overflowed in 1980, reportedly submerging more than 500 houses and killing several people.
Residents said the flooding prevented students from attending classes, disrupted farming activities and forced several shops to close. A poultry farmer, Monday John, said he lost 1,400 birds to the flood.
However, the Executive Secretary of the Edo State Emergency Management Agency, Jerry Idahosa, said the immediate threat from the overflowing dam had been curtailed. He said the affected section had been repaired through the combined efforts of the agency and the local government, while the water board had been advised on controlled water release.
In Bayelsa State, residents of Obogoro community in Yenagoa Local Government Area said more than 200 houses had been lost to the advancing Ekoli River.
Residents said the flooding and erosion had displaced families, destroyed homes and farmlands and threatened community infrastructure. They appealed to the state and Federal Governments, the Niger Delta Development Commission and emergency management agencies to intervene urgently.
Flooding was also reported in nine local government areas of Imo State, with several roads rendered impassable. NEMA said it had moved families trapped by floodwaters in Akwakuma to higher ground, while officials continued to monitor other affected communities.
In Rivers State, residents of parts of Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas said they had endured flooding for weeks. At Marine Base, residents reportedly spent money daily to hire pumping machines to remove water from their homes.
The flooding also affected the Rivers State Rehabilitation Centre in Iriebe, while corps members at the nearby NYSC transit camp were reportedly forced to seek alternative shelter. The flooding claimed the life of 17-year-old Ifeanyichukwu Osuji in Umuebereke community, Oyigbo Local Government Area.
The Obio/Akpor Local Government Council subsequently commenced the desilting of canals and drainage channels across flood-prone areas, deploying swamp buggies to strategic locations.
In Osun State, communities in seven local government areas were affected by flooding, with damage reported to public infrastructure and private property. The affected areas included Atakunmosa West, Ilesa West, Obokun, Osogbo, Olorunda, Iwo and Ifelodun.
In Ekiti State, flooding entered its third day on Tuesday, affecting several parts of Ado Ekiti and neighbouring communities. Reports that three people were swept away around Ayemi Garage and Elemi areas had not been independently confirmed at the time of filing.
The Ekiti State Government said it had spent more than N1.18bn between 2023 and 2026 on flood-control interventions, including the rehabilitation of waterways and drainage infrastructure.
In Abia State, reports indicated that several communities were affected, with claims of about 20 deaths and more than 800 houses destroyed or submerged. However, the fatalities could not be immediately verified.
A 12-year-old student of Federal Government College, Ohafia, Sopuruchi Ibe, was confirmed dead after being swept away by floodwater, while another man, identified as Ejiuwa, was reportedly killed at Ugwueke in Bende Local Government Area.
In Anambra State, flooding affected Onitsha, Awka, Nnewi, Ekwulobia and Ogidi, among other communities. A school pupil, Success Ezenwafor, died after a shuttle bus conveying pupils was overturned by floodwater along the Isiagu-Nibo-Awka Link Road. Seven other children and two adults were rescued.
In Yobe State, the State Emergency Management Agency said 34,533 people had been affected by tropical windstorms, heavy rainfall and flash floods across 15 local government areas since May.
The agency reported that 9,845 households had been affected, while 21,363 shelters or rooms were damaged or destroyed. It also recorded 303 injuries and 11 deaths.
In Kano State, SEMA said nine people were killed and 4,524 displaced by rainstorms and windstorms between January and August 2026. More recently, flooding in Shuwaki town in Tudun Wada Local Government Area destroyed more than 200 rice farms and damaged a historic bridge along the Tudun Wada-Shuwaki Road.
Delta State also recorded flooding across Udu, Uvwie, Warri South and Ughelli North local government areas, with homes, schools, roads and farmlands affected.
Meanwhile, officials in Nasarawa State said they had begun sensitisation campaigns across the state’s 13 local government areas and established temporary settlement arrangements in flood-prone locations.
In Benue State, torrential rainfall submerged houses in parts of Makurdi, Buruku and Guma local government areas. A report that a 10-year-old girl was swept away in Makurdi could not be verified by the state emergency agency.
In contrast, the Zamfara State Emergency Management Agency said no flooding had been recorded in the state despite heavy rainfall, adding that officials were monitoring vulnerable areas.
The widespread flooding has heightened concerns over the capacity of governments at all levels to respond to extreme rainfall, with communities reporting losses of lives, homes, businesses and livelihoods.
While emergency agencies have carried out evacuations, desilting and sensitisation campaigns in some areas, residents have called for longer-term measures, including improved drainage systems, dredging, erosion control, dam maintenance and reconstruction of damaged roads and bridges.
Meanwhile, the Senate has expressed concern over the impact of flooding on communities, farmers and families across the country, urging governments at all levels to improve disaster preparedness and relief efforts.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, made the call during the resumption of plenary on Tuesday, urging authorities to prepare early for floods, protect vulnerable communities and ensure prompt delivery of relief materials to victims.
“A warning must lead to preparation, preparation must lead to protection, and relief must reach the people for whom it is intended,” Akpabio said.
He also warned that the destruction of agricultural produce caused by flooding could worsen food insecurity, while commending agencies and individuals involved in emergency response.
The Senate President urged governments to respond to disasters with greater speed and preparedness as several communities remain exposed to further rainfall.