Over 1,000 Rendered Homeless In Makurdi Flood

At least 1,000 people have been rendered homeless while over 200 houses, as well as farm lands have been destroyed by flood occasioned by downpour in several communities in Otukpo district of Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.

Affected villages include Otukpo-Icho ,where 92 houses were destroyed; Otukpo-Nobi, 67; Upu, 55; Emichi, six; Amla, five; Odudaje, eight; and Okpomaju three.
Daily Sun gathered that the heavy downpour, which has continued for some days now as the bridge linking the communities from Otukpo-Icho over flooded, thus preventing residents of Odudaje, Okpomaju, Amla and Emichi from going out of the area.

The District Head of Otukpo District, Och’Ochtukpo Odu, Chief John Eimonye, in a telephone interview with newsmen yesterday, expressed concern over the development, which he said had forced several people to become refugees in their own land.

While disclosing that no casualty had been recorded, the paramount ruler expressed satisfaction with the prompt intervention by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), whose officials he said had visited the affected communities to assess the level of damage.
He disclosed that most of the victims were presently taking refuge in neighbouring villages, where the flood did not wreak much devastation.(sunnewsng)