Flooding has once again wreaked havoc in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, destroying homes, farmlands, and public infrastructure.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports from Onitsha on Wednesday that Ogbaru, a flood-prone community, has consistently suffered devastation from annual flooding, with this year’s crisis triggered by persistent rainfall and a rising water level from the River Niger.
A NAN correspondent who visited the area observed residents wading through waist-deep water, with houses, roads, and farms completely submerged. Many locals now rely on wooden canoes to commute, as most roads have become impassable.
When contacted, the Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr. Paul Odenigbo, confirmed that residents of flood-prone areas were duly sensitised ahead of the anticipated flooding.
Odenigbo said that the state government had established temporary shelters to accommodate those displaced, and emergency personnel were on standby to assist with evacuations once conditions worsened.
“This is just the beginning. The water level is expected to continue rising,” he warned.
“All flood-prone areas in the state were properly sensitised. Our field workers are ready, and we are preparing the holding centres—fumigating and equipping them—to receive people who will be affected. At this stage, it’s part of our normal response plan,” he explained.
On the issue of residents’ reluctance to evacuate, Odenigbo acknowledged that many locals resist relocation despite the risks.
“The people are used to it. For them, it’s a yearly routine. When you tell them to leave, many just laugh it off because they don’t see the situation as dangerous—at least not yet.”
Efforts to reach the Anambra State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Felix Odumegwu, for comments were unsuccessful, as he neither answered calls nor responded to text messages sent to his phone.
