The National Emergency Management Agency has deployed search and rescue teams to flood-affected states following fresh flooding that has killed residents, displaced families, and destroyed homes and infrastructure.
NEMA said its teams were on standby in affected areas and would coordinate with state and local emergency agencies to evacuate residents, assess damage, and provide relief.
The agency’s Head of Media and Public Relations, Manzo Ezekiel, said the flood situation was not yet as severe as it was at the same period last year but warned that NEMA was not lowering its guard because the rainy season was still ongoing.
He said the agency activated its operational offices after receiving a flood alert last week and directed search and rescue teams to affected communities.
Ezekiel said a NEMA team would visit Ebonyi State before proceeding to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where flooding had become particularly serious.
NiMet has also warned that heavy rainfall could continue, with its latest flash-flood risk map covering September 21 to 30. The agency has urged residents to monitor its weather forecasts and take precautions in flood-prone areas.
The latest flooding has affected communities in several states, including Bauchi, Edo, Bayelsa, Imo, Rivers, Osun, Ekiti, Abia, Anambra, Benue, and Delta.
In Bauchi, the State Emergency Management Agency said six local government areas had been badly affected by heavy rainfall and windstorms. Two deaths were recorded in Kirfi, while thousands of houses and properties were reportedly damaged.
In Edo, flooding from the overflowing Ojirami Dam rendered the Enwan-Igarra-Ososo Expressway impassable. Residents said homes, businesses, and farms were affected, with one poultry farmer reporting the loss of 1,400 birds. The state emergency agency said repairs had been carried out around the affected section of the dam.
In Bayelsa, residents of Obogoro community said more than 200 houses had been submerged by the advancing Ekoli River, with homes, farms, and community facilities affected.
Imo recorded flooding in several parts of Owerri and other local government areas, prompting NEMA officials to move families trapped in Akwakuma to higher ground.
In Rivers, parts of Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor have remained flooded, with residents reporting damage to homes and personal belongings. A 17-year-old boy, Ifeanyichukwu Osuji, reportedly died in Oyigbo, while the Obio/Akpor council began desilting drainage channels and canals.
Flooding also affected communities in Osun, Ekiti, Abia, Anambra, and Delta, damaging roads, bridges, homes, schools, farms, and businesses.
In Anambra, a school pupil, Success Ezenwafor, died after a shuttle bus carrying pupils was overturned by floodwater along the Isiagu-Nibo-Awka Link Road. Seven other children and two adults were rescued.
In Yobe, the State Emergency Management Agency said 34,533 people had been affected by windstorms, heavy rainfall, and flash floods across 15 local government areas since May. It recorded 11 deaths and 303 injuries.
Kano authorities also reported nine deaths and 4,524 people displaced by rainstorms and windstorms between January and August. Recent flooding in Tudun Wada reportedly destroyed more than 200 rice farms and damaged a historic bridge.
The flooding comes amid broader warnings about the 2026 rainy season. The Federal Government’s annual flood outlook identified 14,118 communities in 266 LGAs across 33 states and the FCT as being at high risk of flooding.
NEMA attributed flooding to both heavy rainfall and human activities, including poor drainage, construction on waterways, poor town planning, and the obstruction of natural water channels.
Meanwhile, Senate President Godswill Akpabio called for stronger disaster preparedness and faster delivery of relief to flood victims.
He said early warnings should translate into preparation, protection, and timely relief, noting that flooding could also worsen food insecurity by destroying agricultural produce.
NEMA urged residents in flood-prone areas to remain alert, follow official weather warnings, and move to safer locations when necessary.
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