Nigeria is suffering its worst flooding in a decade, forcing 1.4 million people from their homes. The central city of Lokoja is in one of the worst-affected areas – Kogi state – and residents here are doing their best to cope.
For the past three weeks, Mohammed Sani Gambo has been using a canoe to get into his home.
The fisherman and father of 11 is one of the lucky few in his neighborhood of Gadumu. Living in a two-storey building meant he was able to move his family and belongings to the top floor, away from the flood water.
“When the water first started rising we thought it wouldn’t be this serious”, he says, “but by the next day the whole place was flooded.”
There are now 27 people living in two rooms at the top of his house. They are squashed between mattresses, sofas, pots and pans – anything they could carry away from the rapidly rising water.
“Not everyone living here right now is my family,” he adds. “I also took in some neighbours that had no places to go. I couldn’t leave them out there, so I took them in.”
He has lived in this area for over a decade and is used to the flooding, but this year has been different.
“The volume of the water this year has been higher than in previous years. The water is higher. Because of the volume of the water we’ve seen snakes and other rodents.”
Source: BBC