Massive floods in Patigi and Shonga areas of Kwara State have wreaked havoc on rice farmlands, leading to losses worth millions of naira and throwing communities into despair.
In Patigi’s Sanchita village, farmers like Idris Mohammed and Mohammed Usman described the devastation caused by floods resulting from water released from the Jebba Dam. The calamity has left families struggling to afford basic needs and has disrupted children’s education. “We can barely afford three square meals a day,” lamented one victim, appealing for immediate government intervention.
Similarly, in Shonga, Edu Local Government Area, several rice farms were submerged, prompting Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to set up a fact-finding committee led by Deputy Chief of Staff Princess Bukola Babalola. The team includes commissioners and security advisers tasked with assessing damages and delivering condolence messages to victims and the Emir of Shonga, Dr. Haliru Yahyah Ndanusa (OON).
The affected communities, including Sanchita, Sunkuso, Edogi Chapa, and others, are pleading for direct and swift intervention from the government to alleviate their plight. Meanwhile, the committee’s findings are expected to inform state relief efforts and long-term preventive measures.
As farmers and families rebuild their lives, the need for coordinated support and disaster management in flood-prone areas has become more pressing than ever.
