Minna – Communities in Niger State have been placed on high alert following notifications that four major hydroelectric dams – Shiroro, Jebba, Kainji, and Zungeru – are set to discharge excess water.

The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) confirmed yesterday that it received warnings from the management of the dams, indicating imminent water release. The agency cautioned that the development could trigger severe flooding in riverine communities.

NSEMA Director General, Alhaji Abdullahi Arah, in a statement issued in Minna, warned that the release of thousands of gallons of water per minute could cause Rivers Niger and Kaduna to overflow their banks. He urged residents in flood-prone areas to relocate to higher grounds already identified by the authorities.

“The flooding that will follow the discharge of water from these dams may be catastrophic. Communities living along riverbanks should avoid activities around the rivers during this peak rainy season,” Arah said.

He added that the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has also advised communities along Rivers Niger and Kaduna to move to safer locations, stressing that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted violent windstorms towards the end of the rainy season.

“People should avoid standing under trees during rainfall and keep away from substandard buildings that could collapse during storms,” Arah warned.

The NSEMA boss disclosed that parts of the state are already reeling from the impact of flooding, with houses, farmlands, bridges, and roads destroyed in several local government areas, rendering many residents homeless and disrupting socio-economic activities.

Some of the affected councils include Lavun, Magama, Rafi, Kontagora, Gbako, Mokwa, Lapai, Katcha, Agaie, Suleja, Shiroro, Mashegu, Agwara, Bida, Edati, Munya, Bosso, Chanchaga, Paikoro, and Wushishi. Loss of lives has also been reported in some of the areas.