Death toll in Nigeria floods rises to 285

By Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu

KANO, Nigeria (AA) — Ongoing floods in Nigeria have claimed a total of 285 lives, the country's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported on Thursday.

Over a million people in the West African nation have been affected by the devastating floods, including more than 640,000 displaced, the NEMA told reporters in the capital Abuja.

The agency confirmed that 2,504 people were injured, 99,046 homes were destroyed, and 127,544 hectares (over 315,100 acres) of farmland were washed away.

A total of 185 local government jurisdictions across 31 states were affected, it said.

Of those displaced in northwestern Borno state, 150,000 were children, according to Save the Children International.

Duncan Harvey, country director of Save the Children International, said the displaced children were taking refuge in 26 internally displaced camps, lamenting the harsh conditions they face.

Kenneth Azikwe, the northeastern zonal coordinator of Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), meanwhile, said the agency has started removing damaged drugs and regulated products from the market iBorno.

The agency said the evacuation focused on areas where the regulated products were produced, especially those submerged by the flood.