26,358 ex-militants donate N2,000 each to flood victims

THE 26,358 ex-militants and beneficiaries of the Federal Government Amnesty Programme from the Niger Delta have donated relief materials worth over N52 million to flood victims in Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Cross River states.

Amnesty Programme Head of Capacity Building, Mr. Joel Bisina, made this known, yesterday in Benin, while presenting Edo State’s share of the materials on behalf of the Amnesty Office to the state government.

He said the ex-militants, who were touched by the plight of the flood victims decided to contribute N2,000 each from their monthly stipends to procure the relief materials.

Bisina, who represented the Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, said though the Amnesty Office was not directly responsible for the provision of the relief materials, it was however prepared and ready to collaborate with other agencies to take pro-active measures in mitigating the sufferings of the victims.

Receiving the items on behalf of the state government, Chairman of the State Relief Committee, Hajia Maimuna Momo-du, said for ex-militants to make such contribution showed that there was hope for the country.

Must Watch VIDEO: Flood in Nigeria, Interviews with the floods victims

UPDATE: a few days after this video was filmed – Nigeria floods up to 2-3 metres high swept through peoples homes and Atani village has been abandoned.

(Nigeria News) The retired Colonel takes of his top and jumps into the river flowing through his home to reach his neighbour – but he must swim hard against the tide of water. In his long life, he has never seen a flood in Nigeria this bad.

“We’ve never seen this kind of flood in the history of this town,” says Paul Izukanne, a grey-haired retired Colonel. “I was already grown up in the Nigeria flood of 68-69 so I was a witness.”

The village of Atani sits on the banks of the Niger River in Anambra state and as the Colonel wades through the water to take us on a tour – the water levels continue to rise.

“The current is coming from both front and back so there is no remedy… there is no way to stop it,” Col. Paul explains in his effort to stop the water flowing into his home. “All is in vain – I will have to go the drawing-board to start again.”

Colonel Paul has lost his entire fish farm business and his 3000 fish have been carried away by the high waters. Local farmers can be seen in the video harvesting their yam crop early. The local generator and Glo mobile phone station is also flooded, threatening to cut off contact for the village.