Flood sacks 12 communities, destroys 3,000 farmlands in Cross River

Twelve communities in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River have been flooded, following two days of heavy rain. More than 3,000 farmlands were destroyed.


The incident, which occurred between September 18 and 19, rendered hundreds homeless, with property worth millions destroyed.

Mr John Inaku, director general, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), told NAN on Sunday, during an inspection that that more than 1,000 have been displaced and are taking refuge.

According to him, the state has promised to address the plight of the people.

NAN reports that some of the communities affected are Bago, Unu, Bagabo, Bakie, Bufua, and Kakwe-Beebo.

“The deluge of Sept. 18 and 19 has caused massive flooding in 12 communities in Cross River.

“Property worth millions of naira were destroyed in the process.

“The flood also destroyed farmlands; banana, cassava, plantain, yam, cocoa and others were affected, with bridges washed away.

“The worst aspect of the flood is that it also destroyed streams, which served as the only source of drinking water for the people, while the main access road was washed away as a result of landslide,’’ he said.

One of the victims, Mr Bette Obi, chairman of Cross River Forestry Commission, told NAN that the flood wreaked serious havoc on residents.


Obi, who said his cocoa and plantain farms were destroyed, appealed to the state and Federal Government to come to their aid.

“As we speak, our farmlands have been washed away by flood. The streams where we fetch water for drinking has been polluted.

“We need government’s assistance in our communities to ameliorate our plight,’’ Obi said.

Another victim, Mr Gabriel Ofre, traditional ruler of Bago community, said that the flood displaced his household, and that his property and other vital materials also gone.

Ofre appealed to SEMA and NEMA to come to their aid, saying that residents were peasant farmers, who lived on the meagre earnings from their farm produce.