Death toll rises to 23
One person was killed following the invasion of displaced hippopotamuses in the Guyuk and Shelleng Local Government Areas of Adamawa State.
Chairman of Guyuk LGA, Shalom Kassa, said yesterday in Banjiram that a young man was killed by one of the animals during the attack.
Kassa said the hippopotamuses, displaced by flooding around the Kiri Dam in Shelleng, were now within communities, farmlands, and riverbanks, causing fear among residents.
“This is a serious threat to lives and means of livelihoods; the animals are destroying farmlands, invading flooded homes, and endangering residents and livestock,” he said.
In response, Kassa alongside the Chairman of Shelleng LGA, Abubakar Abba, and traditional rulers, visited the seat of government in Yola for help.
Kassa added that persistent flooding across many parts of the state, especially in Guyuk and Shelleng, had forced the animals out of their natural habitat into populated areas.
He added that residents were unable to defend themselves as existing laws prohibited the killing or harming of wildlife, including hippopotamuses.
MEANWHILE, death toll from Sunday’s devastating flood in Yola, Adamawa State capital, has risen to 23, officials confirmed on Monday.
Initial reports had put the number of casualties at between two and five following the heavy downpour, but several people were also declared missing.
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who was away from the state during the incident, visited the affected areas on Monday afternoon to assess the damage and sympathise with victims.
Speaking at the temporary camp set up at Aliyu Mustafa College, Yola, after inspecting several impacted communities, Governor Fintiri described the incident as tragic and promised urgent government action.
