By joshua 
2025 Flood: “Run, move to upper grounds”- SEMA Boss visit NSCDC, appeals to residents of flood prune communities.
The Executive Secretary, Kogi State Emergency Management Agency, and team lead Emergency Response and Preparedness Team, Alhaji Muktar Atima, has passionately appealled to residents living in and around flood prune communities of Kogi State to run for there dear lives, pointing out that as at today 23/9/25, the water has risen to 10.1m.
The Team lead made the disclosure that Kogi State is likely to be flooded following NIMET prediction and the planned release of water from Dams in the country, said not minding the attachment people have to their homes, it is no longer safe for residents living in flood prune areas to remain owing to the rising of the waters in the rivers Niger and Benue.
Speaking at a courtesy visit to the Commandant, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, the Flood Disaster Response Team leader intimated the Kogi State Commandant NSCDC, Mr Olumide E. Aletan, and his team of the impending flood and the rising levels of the Rivers Niger and Benue said in the next 72 hours, “Kogi likely to be under water with the plan release of waters from Dams across the country”.
He said the State will be entering a difficult period like the 2012, 2022 era when the flood submerged houses built around flood prune areas, however assured of the State’s readiness.
“Water is rising.
Dams are set to be opened in the next few days. By this time last year the level of the water was 8.1m. but with the plan release of water tonight, our State will be over ran with an already water rising level of 10.1m in our river”.
” We are opening 42 IDP camps across 8 LGA to cater for people expected to be displaced. Ibaji LGA as we speak is already 96% over run by water”.
” Already 5 communities in Ibaji is completely submerged. In
Idah already, some communities are already affected with people asked to move to upper ground”.
We are using this medium to call on citizens residing in flood prune areas to move to upper ground, as we are no longer safe in Kogi flood prune areas with the plan release of water from Dams”.
The Executive Secretary assured that the State Government is not resting on it oars as it is working round the clock to mitigate the flood of 2025. “We are working on our medical and other quick response team that have been trained on emergency over the months”.
During the visit, Atimah emphasized the need for enhanced collaboration to effectively mitigate the 2025 flood, stressing that NSCDC has critical roles in the areas of Security, Research and rescue, and Camp coordination.
While making his remarks, the State Comandant NSCDC, Mr Olumide E. Aletan , thanked the team for the advocacy visit, and assured the Response team of NSCDC’s readiness to collaborate with Kogi SEMA for effective flood disaster mitigation.