|By Adejumo Adekunle
18 communities at risk in Lapai and Paikoro LGAs
Federal and state governments urge urgent relocation
The Niger State Government has renewed its call for residents living in flood-prone areas to immediately relocate to higher grounds, following heavy rains that destroyed farmlands in Lapai and Paikoro Local Government Areas on Sunday.
In Lapai LGA, at least 18 communities were affected. Several farmlands were swept away, and many others now face imminent danger of being submerged. Communities currently under threat include Dere, Eshi, Apataku, Tsakanabi, Kuchi Kakanda, Arah, Achiba, Rebba, Ebwa, Pele, Edda, Rigido, Gbami, Yawa, Baka, and Muye. In neighbouring Paikoro LGA, farms in the Kafin Koro axis were also destroyed by the early morning downpour.
Reacting to the incident, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication, Media and Strategy, Jonathan Vatsa, issued a statement urging immediate evacuation from vulnerable areas. He stressed that the government acknowledges the emotional ties residents have to their ancestral homes but warned that safety must take precedence.
“The Mokwa experience is still fresh in our minds. We cannot afford a repeat. That is why the government is urging the people to move to higher ground,” Vatsa said.
He referenced a report by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), which identified 15 of the 25 local governments in Niger State as highly vulnerable to annual flooding.
This warning aligns with a recent advisory from the Federal Government, which asked residents in four local governments—Rijau, Sarkin Pawa, Suleja, and Mashegu—to move to safer locations as torrential rains are predicted between July 31 and August 4, 2025. The alert was issued by the National Flood Early Warning Centre under the Federal Ministry of Environment.
The Director of Erosion, Flood, and Coastal Zone Management, Usman Bokani, in a statement titled “Flood Prediction”, urged relevant authorities to take proactive steps to prevent disaster.
As part of precautionary efforts, the Niger State Government has called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, and community heads to help in educating residents about the dangers of staying in high-risk zones during the peak of the rainy season.
