Tens of thousands flee Nigeria floods

Lagos, Nigeria -- Two major rivers have flooded across central Nigeria displacing tens of thousands of people, the Red Cross told AFP.

Rescue workers in Kogi State have been helping residents move away from the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers to displacement camps or nearby villages.

Umar Y Mahmud, the Red Cross disaster management officer in Kogi, said Friday there were more than 60,000 people displaced and about 60,000 hectares (150,000 acres) of land under water.

"The situation is very bad now as the Niger river is increasing," Mahmud said.

Kogi state's information commissioner Kingsley Femi Fanwo said displacement camps were becoming "overwhelmed" and estimated that more than one million people could be in the affected areas.

The floods have been mounting for the past month, hitting densely populated areas, including parts of the state capital Lokoja.

In Ibaji district, more than three-quarters of the land has been inundated, Fanwo said.

Nigeria often sees floods during the May-to-November rainy season but there are fears this year's could be worse than 2022 when more than 500 people died. No deaths have been reported this time.

Floods in Maiduguri, capital of the northeastern state of Borno, in September, left at least 37 dead.

Officials and residents often blame flood damage on climate change as well as poor planning, construction along riverbanks, and the release of water from dams.