FEMA warns FCT residents of extreme flood, confirms water washed man away in Lugbe

The FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has warned FCT residents to avoid flooded areas to avert the risks of becoming victims of flood.

The Director-General of FEMA, Alhaji Idriss Abbas, gave the warning in a press release on Sunday, NAN reports.

The Director-Generator stated that most of the deaths recorded in the past from flood in the FCT were as a result of non-compliance to instructions and early warnings.

He also emphasized the necessity for residents to adhere strictly to instructions and early warnings from relevant authorities.

He further stated that the Search and Rescue team of the agency recently discovered the body of one Mr. Garba Joseph, 43-year-old from Akoka-Edo of Edo State, after two days search from a flooded river around TradeMoore Estate, Lugbe, in Abuja

Narrating the incident, an eyewitness account stated one of FEMA’s volunteers, Kenneth Chima who captured the incident on the video explained that they were four men that tried strolling through the water.

He stated that they were warned to go back, nonetheless, three of them went back but one man insisted on crossing, sadly, the water overpowered him and washed him away.

“We recently organized a meeting with our volunteers, Vangards, and Divers from all the area Councils within the FCT to educate them on how they can sensitize their people on how to stop disasters to reduce loss of lives and property.”

“We also embarked on a community to community flood sensitization campaigns in the FCT and mounted billboards at all the flood-prone points warning off and cautioning residents from these dangerous areas.”

“What we’re experiencing now is a flash flood, the water builds up speedily and comes unnoticed, hence very dangerous,” he stated.

He additionally stated that relevant authorities have been on their toes, evacuating refuse around the FCT, distilling drainages, and expanding narrow water channels to enable free movement of water for a safer FCT.