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Court of Appeal sacks Abba Yusuf as Kano governor, affirms tribunal’s ruling

Bankole ABE
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Court of Appeal sacks Abba Yusuf as Kano governor, affirms tribunal’s ruling

THE Court of Appeal in Abuja has sacked Abba Yusuf as Kano state governor, affirming the ruling of the state’s governorship election petitions tribunal.

In a judgment delivered on Friday, November 17, a three-member panel of the appellate court held that Yusuf’s party – the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) – breached the Constitution by sponsoring Yusuf, who was not a party member.

The Appeal Court ruled that the tribunal acted in the public interest when it permitted the APC to tender papers during the trial since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had given the APC access to materials piecemeal to undermine the petitioner’s claim.

The court further determined that the 1999 Constitution did not support Yusuf’s lawyer, Wole Olanipekun’s contention that the APC should have included its candidate Yusuf Ganuwa as a party in the tribunal proceedings because a candidate is allowed to be represented by his political party during legal procedures.

The court’s three-man bench ruled that each political party must keep track of its voter registration.

According to the court, political parties are required by the 1999 Constitution to maintain a membership register and provide it to INEC and the tribunal upon request.

The court further stated that Abba’s NNPP membership is not registered.

“All issues in this appeal are dismissed, and the judgment of the tribunal is affirmed,” the court stated.

The ICIR reported that the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sacked Yusuf as the state governor.

The tribunal consequently declared the APC’s Nasir Gawuna as the winner of the March 18 governorship poll in the state.

In its judgment on Wednesday, September 20, the tribunal ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Yusuf and give it to Gawuna.

The three-person panel presided over by Oluyemi Akintan-Osadebay deducted 165,663 votes from Yusuf’s total votes.

The court declared the deducted votes invalid because the ballot papers were not stamped or signed.

Through its lead lawyer, Offiong Offiong, APC is contesting Yusuf’s victory as the election winner.

The APC claimed that Yusuf’s name should have been added to the NNPP membership registry thirty days before the election.

It requested that the tribunal uphold the APC petition and approve all requested reliefs.

According to Yusuf’s lead counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, the sacked defendant is a legitimate member of the NNPP.

He added that it was not the APC’s business to decide whether someone is an NNPP member.

Awomolo requested that the tribunal dismiss the APC case since it was without merit.

After hearing from all the addresses, the three-judge panel, presided over by Osadebay, reserved a day for the ruling.

The Kano State Police Command had banned all protests in the state.

The command said this in a statement on Tuesday, November 14, signed by the Commissioner of Police (CP) Mohammad Usaini Gumel.

The Police spokesperson in the state, Abdullahi Kiyawa, said in a statement that it was best to avoid protests and activities that could incite crisis.

He added that it was also best to steer clear of remarks that could provoke needless conflict or jeopardize the security and integrity of the legal system.

According to the spokesman, the state commissioner of Police, Muhammad Gumel, has deployed sufficient manpower and equipment to designated strategic locations to ensure the security of lives and property and to thwart any attempt to cause disturbance or breakdown of law and order. 

 

Court sends Emefiele to Kuje prison over alleged N1.6bn procurement fraud

Bankole ABE
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Court sends Emefiele to Kuje prison over alleged N1.6bn procurement fraud

THE former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has been sent to Kuje Correctional Centre over an alleged N1.6 billion procurement fraud.

Emefiele was arraigned on a six-count charge at a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, on Friday, November 17.

The Federal Government said in the new charge sheet that the former CBN chief unlawfully purchased 43 vehicles for N1.2 billion between 2018 and 2020.

The initial 20-count charge, totalling N6.5 billion, has been lowered to six.

 Emefiele is the only defendant in the new charge.

After the six-count accusation was read to him, the former CBN governor entered a not-guilty plea when he appeared in court on Friday, November 17, to request bail.

He was charged with ordering 37 Toyota Hilux vehicles, totalling N854 million.

He was also charged with giving corrupt benefits in violation of Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Act 2000 when he granted N73 million for the supply of a single Toyota Landcruiser in 2019.

In the fourth count, he was accused of wrongfully awarding a contract for a Toyota Landcruiser V8 for N73,800,000.

The Federal Government also charged him with giving a contract sum of N44,200,000 in 2020 for the supply of two Toyota Hilux Shell Specification vehicles.

The Federal Capital Territory High Court’s Justice Hamza Muazu adjourned the case until November 22 to rule on Emefiele’s bail request and November 28 to start the trial.

He ordered Emefiele to be placed under remand in the Kuje Correctional Centre in the interim.

The ICIR reported that a FCT High Court granted Emefiele bail on November 8.

The judge, Olukayode Adeniyi, ordered that Emefiele be released immediately to his lawyers, who must bring him into court for arraignment the following week or any other day.

Additionally, the court decided that the former CBN governor could not be detained due to the Federal Government’s claim that he would be charged with a new offence on November 15.

It determined that the claim was speculative since no evidence supported the idea that the scheduled arraignment would proceed as planned.

Furthermore, the court took note of the inconsistent dates on a remand order that the Federal Government’s attorney had presented to it and signed by an Abuja chief magistrate.

According to Adeniyi, while awaiting his arraignment, Emefiele was told to deposit his travel documents with the chief registrar of the court.

The judge ruled that incarceration without charge or trial must end.

According to the court, the Federal Government and the Attorney-General of the Federation are to obey the court’s ruling, stressing that it would not ignore the fact that the defendant has been detained for 151 days.

The hearings on the substantive motion on notice and the preliminary objection were postponed until November 17.

The ICIR reported that the EFCC, on Monday, November 6, failed to produce Emefiele in court for the hearing of his motion on fundamental rights enforcement.

The action violates Adeniyi’s directive to the anti-graft agency to either present the former CBN governor in person for the hearing of a request on his bail or release him unconditionally.

Emefiele, detained since June 9, filed a request with the court to uphold his fundamental human rights.

In addition to pleading for his quick release from EFCC custody, he asked the court to grant him N5 million in damages.

A High Court in Abuja on July 14 nullified the arrest, detention, and interrogation of Emefiele by the SSS.

The court, presided by Bello Kawu, ordered his release and described his arrest and detention as illegal.

The court also granted an injunction restraining the security agencies, particularly the SSS, from interfering with his liberty and freedom of movement or taking other steps against him.

The judgment came barely 24 hours after another High Court in Abuja had ordered the release of the embattled former CBN governor.

The ICIR had reported that the Abuja High Court ordered the SSS to file charges against Emefiele or release him within one week.

The SSS confirmed the arrest of the former apex bank governor, whom President Bola Tinubu suspended on June 9.

 

Nigeria reportedly withdraws claim of $1bn oil deal against Eni

Ehime ALEX
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Nigeria reportedly withdraws claim of $1bn oil deal against Eni

THE Nigerian government has reportedly withdrawn the civil claims totaling $1.1 billion against an Italian oil firm, Eni SpA (ENI), to end years of corruption allegations over Oil Prospecting License 245 (OPL 245).

The oil field deal started in 1998 and has seen the Nigerian government in a long battle with the oil firm in Italian courts.

According to a report by Bloomberg on Thursday, November 16, a letter from Eni confirms Nigeria’s withdrawal from the case, although international arbitration and litigation within Nigeria continues.

It stated that Nigeria’s justice ministry would waive the claims before Italy’s highest court “unconditionally” and “with immediate effect” no later than November 17.

The government will also “irrevocably” waive the right to any further legal action in Italy against Eni, its affiliates, and current and past officers regarding rights for the field.

The report quoted Eni as confirming in a statement that it was ready to consider, together with the government of Nigeria, the necessary steps for conversion of the prospective license to one that would allow the development of the oil block.

Efforts by The ICIR to get the presidency’s reaction were unsuccessful as President Bola Tinubu’s spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, has yet to respond to calls and WhatsApp messages sent to him on the development.

This organisation reports that operations at the oil block have been halted for more than a decade by a series of litigations.

OPL 245, an area located in the southern Niger Delta, is considered to be potentially one of the wealthiest concessions in Nigeria, with recoverable reserves of 560 million barrels, according to Eni’s estimates.

“Whether Eni and its partner Shell Plc (SHEL) could finally begin to develop OPL 245 may depend on the resolution of other claims, including arbitration proceedings filed by Eni at the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes and litigation within the country,” Bloomberg stated.

It added that Eni, Shell, and some of their former and current managers had already been “definitively acquitted” last year in a criminal case in Milan, in which they were accused of knowing that much of the $1.1 billion they paid to acquire OPL 245 would be distributed as bribes.

Nigeria sought combined compensation of $3.5 billion from Eni and Shell, claiming the amount reflected the actual license value purchased in 2011 by the two companies.

OPL 245 fails legal provisions

The ICIR had, on April 3, 2019, reported that the contract award of OPL 245 to Shell and Eni did not follow Nigerian legal provisions.

Dayo Ayoade, a Nigerian legal practitioner, told a court in Milan, Italy, that the award process for OPL 245 to Shell and ENI needed to follow the procedure established in the Petroleum Act, Petroleum (Drilling and Production) Regulation and DPR Guidance Notes for Prospective Bidders.

“Failure to follow the relevant laws, policies, and regulations is fatal to the legality of the OPL 245 award (Zebra Energy Ltd V FGN (2002).

“The minister of petroleum resources does have sufficient powers to award oil licences, but this must follow established procedure, and the minister must perform his statutory duties in the public interest. The public interest is obviously missing in the OPL 245 award and subsequent resolution agreements,” he argued.

The ICIR, on September 20, 2018, also reported that a court in Milan convicted and jailed two facilitators of the deal, Emeka Obi and Gianluca DiNardo, through an accelerated hearing in September 2017.

Background issues surrounding OPL 245

The issue of OPL 245 started in 1998 during the military regime of Sani Abacha, following a policy that encouraged indigenous participation in the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry.

By then, oil blocks were allocated to indigenous companies at a giveaway signature bonus of $20 million.

It followed that Malabu Oil Company, owned by Dan Etete, Minister of Petroleum Resources at the time, was allocated OPL 245. Still, the company paid only $2 million as part payment and brought in Shell as its technical partner.

The deal was later annulled in 1999 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who subsequently assigned OPL 245 to Shell. This led to a series of legal actions, which lasted until 2006 when Malabu and Shell decided to settle out of court. Eventually, OPL 245 was returned to Malabu.

In 2017, however, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) resurrected the issue and filed a case before the court asking that OPL 245 be returned to the federal government.

Eni divests investment in Nigeria

The Italian firm Eni had recently, in a statement signed by the company secretary, Ayotola Jagun, on Monday, September 4, revealed plans to divest its onshore Nigerian assets to Oando Plc, an indigenous energy solutions provider.

The ICIR reported that Oando did not disclose the acquisition cost, but an investment bank, Jefferies, pegged the deal at more than $500 million.

Super Eagles begin World Cup qualifiers with 1-1 draw against Lesotho 

Dotun OMISAKIN
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Super Eagles begin World Cup qualifiers with 1-1 draw against Lesotho 

NIGERIA’S senior men’s football team, Super Eagles, on Thursday began their campaign for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with a 1-1 draw against Lesotho at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.

The much-anticipated match, which seemed to be a glimmer of hope for Nigeria to pick a ticket for the 2026 edition to be co-hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico, having missed out on the World Cup fiesta in Qatar, cast doubt on the qualification of the Super Eagles to the World Cup.

Despite the Crocodiles of Lesotho being the underdog going into the match, they proved their critics wrong as they keenly contested the match on the soil of their host.

The visitors, who were resilient in the defence to deny their host taking the lead after several attempts, broke the deadlock of the match in the 55th minutes as they took the lead through Mkwanazi.

The Crocodiles’ joy for taking the lead was short-lived when, after 10 minutes, the Super Eagles restored parity through Semiu Ajayi, who nodded the ball in after connecting a corner kick from Kelechi Iheanacho.

The Super Eagles will face the Warriors of Zimbabwe at the Huye Stadium in Butare on Sunday, November 19, at the 20,000-capacity Huye Stadium, located in the city of Butare, which is 135 kilometers south of the Rwandan capital, Kigali, and has an artificial turf.

Zimbabwe has adopted Rwanda as a home for the qualifiers as no stadium in the southern African nation has been deemed fit to host the FIFA World Cup qualifying games.

Victory against Zimbabwe will put the Super Eagles in an advantageous position as Lesotho leads Group C with one point, and Nigeria trails in the second position.

Zimbabwe and Rwanda are in the third and fourth positions, respectively, while South Africa and Benin will slug it out against each other to determine their places.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Court declares Zamfara poll inconclusive, orders rerun in 3 LGAs

Mustapha USMAN
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Court declares Zamfara poll inconclusive, orders rerun in 3 LGAs

THE Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Thursday, November 16, declared the Zamfara state governorship election inconclusive against the state election petitions tribunal ruling.

The court also ordered a re-run in three local government areas (LGAs). The LGAs are Maradun, Birnin-Magaji, and Bukyun.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Bello Lawal, the winner of the March 18 governorship election in the state.

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Following his victory, the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate in the election, Bello Matawalle, contested the election results at the state governorship election petitions tribunal.

However, the tribunal upheld Lawal’s victory and dismissed Matawalle’s petition. It also imposed a N500,000 fine on the petitioner.

Subsequently, Matawalle, the incumbent governor defeated by Lawal, pursued the case at the Appeal Court in another attempt to upturn Lawal’s victory.

In its judgment on Thursday, the three-member panel of the Appeal Court held that the tribunal failed to adequately consider the evidence presented by the appellants – the APC.

The court also said it was wrong for INEC to rely on information it obtained from its IReV portal to collate the final result of the governorship election.

The court further dismissed the results provided by the APC and INEC for Maradun LGA.

On August 17, The ICIR reported that President Bola Tinubu appointed Matawalle as the Minister of State for Defence.

Zamfara is among Nigerian states worst hit by insecurity. The menace began under Matawalle and it has continued under Lawal’s watch.

 

Finance minister, Senate differ on borrowing to fund 2024 budget

Harrison EDEH
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Finance minister, Senate differ on borrowing to fund 2024 budget

THE Joint Senate Committee on the 2024-2026 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal (MTEF) Strategy Paper has said Nigeria might need to borrow more loans to fund the 2024 budget.

The committee stated this on Thursday, November 16, at the ongoing hearing on the medium-term expenditure framework in Abuja.

It expressed worry over the inability of revenue-generating ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to meet their targets.

Sani Musa, the committee’s chairman, said the responses received so far from MDAs indicated that they might be unable to meet their revenue targets.

He said, “As regards the responses we are getting from MDAs, as finance committee, I am afraid if such targets will be met, if we will be able to fund the 2024 budget without going for more interventions; that is more loans”, Sani said during a meeting of the committee with Wale Edun, the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, the director-general of the Debt Management Organisation (DMO) and chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

He, however, said borrowing more loans would increase the deficit and debt servicing burden.

He also expressed concern over many leakages in the government’s revenue collection and use of its resources.

“I cannot believe that an agency will receive revenue in 2022 and is showing a collection receipt in October 2023. So, I don’t know how these collections are made and how they (Accountant-General of the Federal) issue receipts,” Musa stated.

According to Musa, the issuance of receipts has created room for misappropriation and mismanagement of funds and should be probed further.

He noted that the government was recording revenue shortfalls due to the issuance of waivers without clarity of benefits from such issuance.

Responding, Edun differed with him on going for more loans. He said Nigeria could not afford to rely on loans but needed to ramp up revenue.

“At our current status as a nation, we are clearly in no position to rely on borrowing. We have an existing borrowing programme. Our direction is to reduce reliance on borrowing, reduce the quantum and percentage of deficit financing in the 2024 budget.

“As you know, our debt servicing was pushing 98 per cent of revenue that the last thing to think of is piling more debt”, he added.

He stressed that the solution remained revenue.

“If you look at government spending, if you look at the budget as a percentage of GDP, it is one of the lowest, may be around 10 per cent. Even Ghana is at 25 per cent. The most advanced countries in terms of social safety nets and social security systems are at 70 per cent of GDP. So, we need to increase”, Edun said.

Obi to FG: Inflated supplementary budget negates bankruptcy claim

Harrison EDEH
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Obi to FG: Inflated supplementary budget negates bankruptcy claim

THE Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the February 25 election, Peter Obi, said the bankruptcy alarm by the federal government negated the bloated supplementary budget just signed into law by President Bola Tinubu. 

Obi, therefore, called on the government to disclose how much it inherited from the previous government while making a bankruptcy claim.

He disclosed this in a statement issued by Michael Nwaolisa on Thursday, November 16.

Obi, in a series of tweets on his X handle on Thursday, said the alarm also contradicted the spending behavior of the government as contained in its supplementary budget just signed into law by the President and the bloated size of the government.

“I just read yesterday a widely publicised story from the present APC-led Federal Government saying that it inherited a bankrupt nation from the former APC administration. But then the story failed to disclose what it actually inherited, which qualified us for bankruptcy status”

Obi noted that one major characteristic expected of the new Nigeria was a transparent disclosure system, stressing that what was inherited should be disclosed to enable the public to know where the nation was headed.

Obi recalled that the previous APC government, led by former President Muhammadu Buhari, made a similar claim in 2015 against the PDP administration that handed over to it without telling the nation what it inherited.

“Rather, according to official records, they took our debt profile from N12.6 Trillion in 2015 to N87 trillion in 2023 when he left office without improving on any indices of development, education, health, poverty eradication, and security. Instead, every aspect of the development index got worse.”

According to Obi, Nigerians know things are very bad, so what to expect in such circumstances is a measurable and verifiable step to improve the situation.

The former Anambra state governor further argued that the government’s alarm questioned the rationale behind some expenditure profiles of the government so far, especially for some items contained in the supplementary budget just signed into law by the President.

“It also goes to buttress the argument I have held since the electioneering time that the cost of governance must be drastically reduced.

“A bankrupt country should channel every available resource into funding critical development sectors like security, healthcare, education, and eradication of poverty by addressing youth unemployment, not spending on non-focal areas”

The ICIR  reported the passage of the N2.17 trillion budget by the Senate, which is to be funded mainly by borrowing amid dwindling revenue.

 

One chance: FCT Police impound 54 vehicles in 2 weeks

Bankole ABE
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One chance: FCT Police impound 54 vehicles in 2 weeks

THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command said it impounded 54 vehicles allegedly used for one-chance operations across the nation’s capital within the last two weeks.

The command also apprehended several suspects who were allegedly involved in one-chance and other crimes. 

Briefing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, November 16, the FCT Police Commissioner (CP) Haruna Garba said the newly inaugurated Operation Sting and Anti-One-chance Squad carried out coordinated operations and impounded the vehicles.

The CP said many of the vehicles were without number plates, some with tinted glasses, and others with number plate in front or at the back only.

“Offending drivers/owners of these vehicles will soon be arraigned in court. In addition, two locally fabricated guns, one locally made Berretta pistol, and one revolver double barrel gun with two live cartridges were recovered. 

“Also recovered were three full bags of leaves suspected to be cannabis sativa and quite a number of wraps of Indian hemp and illicit drugs,” the commissioner stated. 

He also claimed that the incidence of one chance, armed robbery, and abduction had reduced in the FCT since the launch of the Operation Sting and Anti-One-chance Squad. 

Similarly, Garba said in the course of a joint operation with other security agencies to rid the city of criminals, 135 suspects were arrested at various black spots located at Kwali, Dutse Alhaji, Mpape, Karu, AYA, Nyaya, Karimo, Karshi, Kuje, Airport Road, Berger Roundabout, Jabi, Orozo and Mararaba. 

He added that out of these numbers, 75 suspects were arraigned in court for various offences, and 65 were sentenced to pay fines ranging from N5000 – N7000, while the remaining ten were sentenced to community service.

The Police chief paraded 39 suspects who, according to him, were under interrogation and would be charged in court after investigation. 

He said eight suspects were suspected to be members of one chance syndicate, as knives, handcuffs, and swords were allegedly recovered from their vehicles.

The ICIR reported that the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, set up a joint task force to tackle the menace of ‘one-chance’ robbers in the nation’s capital.

The task force comprises all security agencies in the territory.

The FCT Police CP, Garba, disclosed this on Friday, October 13, 2023, after a security council meeting with the minister.

Garba said the FCT security council meeting discussed ways to eradicate criminal elements in the FCT, stop cross-border crimes, and curb the menace of one chance.

The one-chance menace has been rife in the city, with the recent victim being Greatness Olorunfemi, a young lady who was reportedly denied treatment by the Maitama General Hospital because the sympathisers who brought her could not produce a police report.

On October 1, The ICIR detailed the law’s position, getting a Police report to treat a person needing emergency care.

In its several reports, this organisation has shown how the menace is rampant in the city.

One chance is a criminal group disguised as commercial drivers and commuters. They usually move around cabs in groups of two, three, or four, armed with weapons such as guns, knives, hammers, and other harmful objects.

They dispossess passengers of their belongings, including laptops, money, phones, and other valuables. Many of them conduct their illicit business using point of sale (PoS) machines to empty victims’ bank accounts, using force.

The FCT command’s seizure of 54 vehicles allegedly used for one chance within two weeks could validate The ICIR report on the dimensions criminalities and insecurity take in the nation’s capital.

NWFL: Nasarawa Amazons, Heartland Queens, Edo Queens win 

Dotun OMISAKIN
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NWFL: Nasarawa Amazons, Heartland Queens, Edo Queens win 

NASARAWA Amazons, Heartland Queens, Edo Queens and Abia Angel secured victories as the campaign for the 2023/2024 Nigeria Women Football League, NWFL match day one ended yesterday.

The season match opener between debutant Ekiti Queens and defending league’s champion Delta Queens ended in a goalless draw at the Oluyemi Kayode stadium in Ekiti state.

Also, in Ogun state, Remo Stars Ladies played against the 2021 champions, Rivers Angels, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

River Angels took the lead 12 minutes into the first half through Motunrayo Ezekiel before the Remo Ladies’ captain, Joy Nneka, restored parity via her free-kick in the second half strike.

Similarly, Sunshine Queens held a 1-1 draw against Bayelsa Queens at the Akure township stadium. 

The host took the lead in the 18 minutes through Suliat Ajibade, who scored via spot kick, but could not maintain the lead after visitor’s player Itimi Mercy equalised in the 61st minute.

At the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, it was a stroll in the park for Edo Queens as they thrashed Lagos-based team FC Robo 4-1.

Edo Queens’ players Kafayat Mafisere and Eunice Godwin scored in the 25 and 31 minutes to give their team the lead in the first half.

In the second half of the match, FC Robo came back to life as they reduced the deficit through Favor Nkwocha in the 64 minute, but the host increased their goal tally through Eunice Godwin and Esther Moses to secure a 4-1 victory.

In Imo state, Heartland Queens pummelled Royal Queens 4-0 at the Dan Anyiam Stadium Owerri, thanks to  Onyinyechi Kalu, Chidinma Anaele, Gift Afigbediitor and Chinedu Chinaka’s goals.

Unlike Heartland Queens, it was a keenly contested match between Abia Angels and Adamawa Queens. 

The match played in Aba ended 3-2 in favour of Abia Angels.

The match between Confluence Queens and Dannaz Ladies ended in a goalless draw, 0-0, while Naija Ratels lost at home to Nasarawa Amazons, 1-3, in Abuja.

 

Flood kills 3, injures 22, destroys 1,838 houses in Gombe – SEMA

Mustapha USMAN
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Flood kills 3, injures 22, destroys 1,838 houses in Gombe – SEMA

NO fewer than three persons died and 22 others injured in the 2023 flooding in Gombe state, the state Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said.

The floods caused by heavy rainfalls also destroyed 1,838 houses and 257 farmlands while killing seven animals between May and October 2023.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Thursday, November 16, in Gombe, the state capital, the SEMA’s Executive Secretary, Abdullahi Abdullahi, said eight out of the 11 local government areas (LGAs) of the state experienced flooding as against three LGAs predicted in the 2023 Flood Outlook.

The affected areas are Akko, Funakaye, Balanga, Gombe, Nafada, Kaltungo, Shongom and Yamaltu/Deba.

Abdullahi noted that the downpours, accompanied by strong windstorms, ravaged farmlands and caused losses to the farmers in the affected communities.

He said the state government distributed relief materials to victims, adding that the government was trying to expand the scope of the support services to all the affected communities.

“We have also submitted reports of flooding in the remaining communities, and efforts are on to also provide relief materials to them,” he said.

He stressed that the agency had written to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to facilitate support to the victims.

Earlier this year, the Federal Government disclosed that 32 states, 178 local government areas (LGAs), and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were at risk of heavy flooding in 2023. 

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The ICIR reports that Gombe was one of the 35 states affected by flood in 2022, as it recorded several casualties.

In September 2022, excessive water released from the Lagda dam, alongside continuous heavy rainfall, displaced 1.4 million Nigerians from their homes, and about N700 billion in agricultural investments were lost, The ICIR reported.

In several flood series reports, The ICIR captured some states’ preparations and mitigation plans for the 2023 flooding prediction.

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