Flood displaces Enugu communities, destroys homes, crops
By Chinedu Adonu
ENUGU — Flooding has displaced residents of Mpu and Okpanku communities in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State, destroying houses, shops, rice mills, farmlands and other property worth millions of naira.
The flooding, which began on September 20, intensified on Tuesday and Wednesday, submerging parts of Afor Okpanku, Ivo Bridge and adjoining roads.
More than 10 houses reportedly collapsed on Wednesday, while rice, yam and cassava farms were washed away by the rising water.
As of press time, residents were evacuating their families and belongings to safer locations as heavy rainfall continued in the area.
The Councillor representing Mpu Ward, Hon. Edwin Ogbuka, described the situation as life-threatening, saying several houses and farmlands had been affected.
Ogbuka called for urgent government intervention and attributed the flooding to an overflow of water from the abandoned Ivo Dam project.
A community leader in Mpu, Mr Chukwu Magnus Dele, said six villages in the community had been affected, with some displaced residents taking refuge at Amachalla Town School.
He appealed to the government and relevant emergency agencies to urgently provide relief materials and other assistance to the victims.
Similarly, the Youth Leader of Okpanku, Mr George Ahaefuna, described the flooding as unprecedented.
“Since I was born, I have never seen this kind of flood in my life. The flood has destroyed all we have laboured for this year.
“It has destroyed our crops, rice and yam farms worth millions of naira. I am appealing to the Federal Government, Enugu State Government, Aninri Local Government, NEMA and SEMA to come to our aid,” he said.
A shop owner at Afor Okpanku Market said goods worth millions of naira had remained submerged for two days.
“This development is devastating. This is the worst flood that has affected Okpanku in my generation.
“If you go inside the villages, you will see houses destroyed by the flood,” she said, appealing to government officials and elected representatives to assist residents whose homes were destroyed.
The flooding was still worsening as of press time, with rain continuing to fall and more buildings and farmlands coming under water.
Residents said Okpanku had experienced major flooding on previous occasions, with community accounts citing 1939, 1965 and 2026.
Efforts to obtain reactions from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
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