Flood submerges Bayelsa community as residents cry for help

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

The entire Ayakoro settlement in Ogbia Local Government Area in Bayelsa has been submerged by surging flood as the death toll rises across Bayelsa.

Bayelsa government had on Wednesday confirmed that three deaths attributable to the floods have been reported.

Mr Ayibaina Duba, Bayelsa Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy who confirmed the deaths commiserated with bereaved families.

Meanwhile, the Paramount Ruler of Ayakoro Community HRH Righteous Inegbagha has made a distress call to the state and federal governments to take urgent measures to salvage the people of the community from the devastating effects of this year’s flood

According to the royal father, the flood menace had rendered thousands of his subjects homeless and equally thrown them out of the dominant economic activities of farming.

He said for about a week now residents are residing in water occasioned with untold hardship, hunger and starvation with no place to stay.

He emphasised the need for government to provide relief materials such as food items, clothes, and healthcare and evacuate the people to temporary camps to save lives and property.

Inegbagha regretted that his Palace which hosted some of the victims have been made inhabitable as they grapple with the rising water levels in the area.