Floods are submerging whole houses in Nigeria. At least 80 have died trying to escape. The president, Buhari, vowed to help as much as he could. The country has been on alert on the advice of the International Red Cross, which said that as many as 350,000 people might have fled their homes. But the true number has never been calculated, because nobody knows where exactly the water has entered or where the homes are. The area around Jos – where the capital is located – has been without running water for a week. Water has been rationed. The military says the problem is that the water has entered some areas where people live close to the River Niger and is trying to get out. But the military has admitted that its task is complicated by the fact that the river banks lie on the military’s territory. In addition, the water has also entered some uninhabited areas, particularly on the western side of the Niger at the border with Mali.
In the capital alone, an estimated 3,000 people are without a regular source of water. Many have dug wells on the river’s edge, but those are quickly filled in by the river and the soldiers have had to order people to collect their own water – something the residents do by boat. Many have fled to the outskirts of the city, but the water has been flowing in the streets and the soldiers say they will do their best to get the people back to their homes. Many others are afraid to go back, says Mr. Aziola, because they are convinced the authorities will punish them for being in areas with water. They say they will not return to their homes unless they are paid and the soldiers are ordered to take away their cattle to give to the victims.
Buhari says he knows he is having a lot of problems with the people of his country (Getty)
“The problem is that I can not say no to President Buhari,” says Ibrahim Aziola, the mayor of Jos. But, even he is not sure if the people of Jos will be able to return. “They are afraid.” Aziola says he has lived in
