Connect with us

News

States intensify action as 232 die, 121,000 displaced due to flood disaster

Published

on

Several states, including Kaduna, Nasarawa, Bauchi and Jigawa, have intensified campaigns to avert flood crisis.

According to figures obtained by The PUNCH from the National Emergency Management Agency on Monday, no fewer than 232 persons have lost their lives, while 121,224 others have been displaced following floods that swept through parts of the country as of September 20, The PUNCH reports.

The 2025 flood dashboard shows that at least 339,658 people also recorded some form of losses, with 681 sustaining various degrees of injuries.

Deaths were recorded in seven states, with Niger State accounting for 163 fatalities, Adamawa 59, Taraba five, Yobe two, Borno, Gombe, and Jigawa one each, bringing the nationwide death toll to 232. The floods also resulted in 115 cases of missing persons across the country.

The disaster also left 42,301 houses damaged and destroyed about 48,447 hectares of cultivated farmlands.

The most impacted states include Lagos, where 57,951 people were affected, 3,680 displaced and 3,244 houses damaged; Adamawa, with 57,890 affected, 23,077 displaced, 438 injured, 59 killed, and more than 9,000 farmlands destroyed; and Akwa-Ibom, where 46,233 persons were affected, 40,140 displaced, with over 17,000 homes and farmlands damaged.

Other states severely hit are Imo, which recorded 29,242 affected, 15,607 displaced, 81 injured, and hundreds of homes and farms destroyed; Taraba, with 26,722 affected, 3,080 displaced, 88 injured, and five killed; Rivers, with 22,345 affected and 9,645 displaced; Delta, with 14,057 affected and 3,325 displaced; Abia, where 11,907 were affected, 4,896 displaced, and 21 injured; and Edo, with 10,608 affected and 2,439 displaced.

Also affected are Borno, which had 8,164 people impacted, 2,436 displaced, three injured, and one death; Kaduna, with 7,334 affected and 662 displaced; Niger, where 6,041 were affected, 1,860 displaced, 11 injured, and 163 deaths; Bayelsa, with 5,868 affected; Cross River, which reported 5,646 affected and 5,518 displaced; Yobe, where 4,256 were affected, 486 displaced, and two killed; Sokoto, with 4,278 affected and 1,287 displaced; Gombe, where 4,098 were affected, 865 displaced, 12 injured, and one death; and Ondo, which reported 3,735 affected and 363 displaced.

The floods further impacted Jigawa, with 3,650 affected, 293 displaced, and one death; Kogi, where 2,825 were affected; Kwara, which recorded 2,663 affected and extensive farmland losses; Anambra, with 925 affected and 816 displaced; Nasarawa, where 749 persons were affected and all displaced; Kano, which recorded 1,446 affected; and the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja), where 1,025 people were affected and 117 houses damaged.

NEMA identified food, shelter, health services, water and sanitation, and livelihood support as the most urgent needs of victims.

In the aftermath of the floods, NEMA identified several obstacles hampering response efforts. Resource shortage was the most pressing challenge, accounting for 68 per cent of reported difficulties.

This was followed by the inaccessibility of flooded communities (17 per cent), which made it difficult for rescue teams and relief materials to reach victims. Security risks (six per cent) in some locations also slowed operations, while community resistance (seven per cent) further complicated humanitarian access and aid delivery.

Gombe households displaced

The Gombe State Emergency Management Agency said the floods had displaced hundreds of households and claimed several lives since the start of the rainy season.

The Executive Secretary of SEMA, Gombe, Haruna Abdullahi, confirmed that no fewer than 986 households have been affected so far, while 15 lives have been lost to flood-related incidents.

“The situation is worrying. From the beginning of this rainy season till date, we have recorded 15 deaths, and close to 1,000 households have been displaced across different communities,” Abdullahi said.

He explained that one of the most recent incidents occurred at Jurara in Kwami Local Government Area, where about 96 people were displaced and currently being hosted by members of the community.

“So, also at Jalingon Kamu in Kaltungo Local Government Area, about 102 persons were dislocated and are now managing with their neighbours,” he added.

Abdullahi added that a tragic canoe accident compounded the situation in Funakaye Local Government Area.

“A canoe capsized in a village near Bage, leading to the death of five people, while only two survived,” he said.

The SEMA boss, however, assured that the agency was working with local authorities and humanitarian partners to provide relief to victims, even as he urged residents in flood-prone areas to take precautionary measures during the peak of the rainy season.

In Sokoto, findings from a joint assessment conducted by SEMA and NEMA showed that the torrential downpours on September 4 and 9 ravaged 61 communities in Rabah Local Government Area, destroying about 2,200 houses and displacing more than 5,300 households.

With flooding already affecting over 5,000 households and killing at least two people in Sokoto alone in the past fortnight, humanitarian groups and community leaders are calling for urgent interventions to protect lives, provide relief to displaced families, and invest in long-term flood and water transport safety measures.

Kano houses, farmlands

Many houses were destroyed during the recent flood disaster, which ravaged a number of local government areas of Kano State within the last two weeks.

The Executive Secretary of the Kano SEMA, Alhaji Isyaku Kubarachi, said, “As you know, the rainy season is coming to an end, but the problem is that whenever it rains, the rain is always accompanied by strong windstorms, thereby causing a lot of havoc to many houses by uprooting the roofing of the affected houses.

“We have several such houses and we even recorded fatalities, but I cannot give you the exact number of persons affected or houses destroyed because we’re still working on it,” he said.

Kunarachi said when they finished compilation of the affected persons and houses, they would forward the comprehensive report to the state government.

In neigbouring Bauchi, an official of the State Emergency Management Agency, Adamu Nayola, noted that the state government had spent about N500m as an intervention fund to help victims rebuild houses affected by floods across the state.

Kaduna flood camp

A two-day torrential rainfall also wreaked havoc across Zaria and parts of Kaduna metropolis, displacing at least 970 residents, including hundreds of children, and destroying no fewer than 270 homes, The PUNCH learnt.

The downpour, which began on September 11, lasted until the early hours of September 12 and left a trail of destruction in multiple communities in Zaria, as well as the densely populated Kigo Road Extension in Kaduna North Local Government Area.

These formed the highest figures for those displaced in Kaduna in the last two weeks.

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Government has announced the temporary closure of the Bashama flood camp in Tudun Wada, Kaduna South Local Government Area, following what officials described as a significant improvement in the flood situation that displaced dozens of families in recent weeks.

According to the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency, the camp accommodated 42 households comprising 239 residents, including pregnant women, persons with disabilities, and children, who were forced out of their homes when floodwaters submerged parts of the community.

punch.ng

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

UK Charity Commission freezes over 100 bank accounts linked to MFM

Published

on

On Tuesday, the UK’s Charity Commission announced it had frozen the assets of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries International (MFM), a Nigerian-founded church.

On its website, the UK government concluded that its trustees failed to manage the organisation’s finances properly across its UK branches.

The UK Charity Commission is a non-ministerial department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales, to ensure that the public can confidently support charities.

MFM, founded by Nigerian cleric Daniel Olukoya, is one of Nigeria’s most influential Pentecostal churches. It has a strong global presence, particularly in the United Kingdom, where many Nigerian diaspora communities worship.

MFM is not the first Nigerian-founded church to face scrutiny in the UK. In recent years, other Nigerian-origin churches, including SPAC Nation in December 2024 and Christ Embassy in November 2019, have been investigated regarding governance and financial accountability concerns.

The incident raises broader questions about how rapidly expanding churches adapt their internal systems when moving into regulated environments like the UK, where religious organisations registered as charities must meet strict financial reporting standards.

The case has, therefore, sparked wider conversations about financial transparency and governance among fast-growing African churches operating overseas.

How the investigation began

On 27 March 2018, the Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into MFM under Section 46 of the UK’s Charities Act 2011. Concerns have been raised regarding the possible misappropriation of charity funds and weak internal financial controls.

The Commission discovered that the church had expanded rapidly in the UK, growing from a few branches to more than 90 locations nationwide, without developing a solid financial governance structure to match its growth.

According to the final report, the Commission found that trustees did not properly oversee more than 100 separate bank accounts operated by different church branches. These accounts were opened and managed autonomously, often without informing central leadership or providing timely income reports.

Commission’s report

The commission reported that the church’s branches operated independently without central approval and that Major financial decisions, such as property purchases and lease agreements, were made without trustee authorisation.

Additionally, some branches used properties without securing planning permissions, leading to costly legal actions. It highlighted that Poor employment contract management resulted in financial settlements for employment disputes, and the lack of a unified monetary system created serious risks to charitable funds.

As a result, the regulator concluded that donor money was at risk due to weak financial oversight and poor governance.

Interim Manager Appointed to Restore Control

On 1 August 2019, following serious concerns about the trustees’ ability to manage the charity effectively, the Commission appointed an interim manager under Section 76(3)(g) of the Charities Act. The interim manager worked alongside the trustees to implement critical financial controls.

This oversight continued until 13 September 2024, when the interim manager was discharged after making progress.

Following the conclusion of the investigation, the Charity Commission announced that it had frozen the charity’s assets to prevent further financial risk while strengthening accountability structures.

Amy Spiller, Head of Investigations at the Charity Commission, said:

“The rapid growth of a charity comes with correspondingly larger potential risks, as our inquiry clearly shows. In this case, the trustees’ fundamental failure to maintain financial controls meant donor funds were at serious risk across their entire network.”

She added that the trustees are better positioned to ensure financial responsibility and compliance following regulatory intervention.

Regulatory Action

Upon completing its review, the Commission issued a regulatory action plan that required MFM to strengthen its governance policies and improve financial transparency. The Commission has confirmed that trustees have complied with the action plan, and the charity is now expected to operate under stricter financial controls going forward.

When this report was filed, neither MFM International nor its founder, Daniel Olukoya, had issued a public statement in response to the Charity Commission’s findings.

Collins Edomaruse, the media aide to Mr Olukoya, did not respond to calls or text messages.

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

Continue Reading

News

MDAs under fire as FG probes TSA violations

Published

on

The Federal Government, through the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, has ordered all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to submit their statements of accounts in commercial banks.

The government said the move was part of its plans to maintain financial discipline.

This was disclosed in a memo signed by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, which was obtained by our correspondent on Tuesday.

Ogunjimi in the memo expressed grievance over the continuous usage of commercial banks by MDAs despite an earlier directive ordering MDAs to close such accounts and focus on the use of the Treasury Single Account domiciled in the Central Bank.

Recall that the government in February mandated MDAs to stop the use of commercial banks, as it opposes the framework of the TSA.

While reiterating the Federal Government’s commitment to the Treasury Single Account policy, the Accountant-General of the Federation urged the Federal Pay Officers to monitor and ensure that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in the States do not operate any account with the commercial banks or circumvent any provision of the TSA policy,” the statement by the OSGF said in February.

Reacting to the new memo, Ogunniyi said, “It has been observed with dismay that funds belonging to the Federal Government are still domiciled in several accounts held with commercial banks, contrary to Federal Government Circulars and the operational framework of the Treasury Single Account, which mandates the consolidation of all Federal Government revenues and receipts into the TSA domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“In view of the above and following the Honourable Minister of Finance directive, all Directors/Heads of Finance and Accounts in Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies and Federal Government-owned Enterprises are immediately required to submit Statements of all Bank Accounts (active, dormant and closed) maintained in all commercial banks over the last six (6) months, clearly indicating account names, account numbers, bank branches and current balances.”

“This directive takes immediate effect and must be treated with the utmost urgency, as it is part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen fiscal discipline and uphold the integrity of the Treasury Single Account Framework.”

punch.ng

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

Continue Reading

News

Kanu to defend self, lists Danjuma, Wike, Sanwo-Olu as witnesses

Published

on

The detained leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, made a dramatic turn on Tuesday by informing the Federal High Court in Abuja that he was ready to open his defence.

This came just hours after Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, led protests in parts of Abuja demanding Kanu’s release.

Kanu had, last Thursday, filed a preliminary objection challenging the court’s jurisdiction to continue his trial.

The objection came on the same day a team of medical experts appointed by the court declared him medically fit to stand trial, Channels reports.

In a fresh motion personally filed on Tuesday, October 21, Kanu told the court that he was prepared to begin his defence “pursuant to the order of this honourable court made on the 16th day of October 2015, directing the defendant to commence his defence on the 24th day of October 2025.”

He disclosed plans to call 23 witnesses divided into two categories, “ordinary but material witnesses” and “vital and compellable witnesses”, the latter to be summoned under Section 232 of the Evidence Act, 2011.

The motion, which Kanu personally signed, suggested that he may have disengaged his legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Kanu Agabi.

He also requested 90 days to conclude his defence due to the number of witnesses he intends to call.

Kanu stated that he would testify on his own behalf, “providing a sworn account of the facts, denying the allegations, and explaining the political context of his statements and actions.”

Among those listed as “compellable witnesses” were former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd); former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd); Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma.

Others include the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; Minister of Works, Dave Umahi; and former Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu.

Kanu also listed former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN); former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; and Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, among others whose identities he withheld.

Kanu pledged to submit sworn statements from all voluntary witnesses and to notify the prosecution within a reasonable time.

He assured the court that “no precious time of the honourable court would be delayed,” adding that “justice must not only be done but be manifestly seen to have been done.”

Meanwhile, on the same day Kanu filed his motion, a magistrate court in Abuja ordered the remand of his special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, and 12 others arrested during protests demanding his release.

The police charged the 13 defendants with criminal conspiracy, disobedience of a lawful order, inciting disturbance, and disturbance of public peace — offences contrary to sections 152, 114, and 113 of the Penal Code Law.

Those named in the first two information reports include Ejimakor, Kanu’s brother Emmanuel, Joshua Emmanuel, Wilson Anyalewechi, Okere Kingdom Nnamdi, Clinton Chimeneze, Gabriel Joshua, Isiaka Husseini, Onyekachi Ferdinand, Amadi Prince, Edison Ojisom, Godwill Obioma, and Chima Onuchukwu.

The magistrate, after briefly standing down the case, ordered their remand at Kuje Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter till October 24 for arraignment.

punch.ng

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

Continue Reading

Trending