Flood has wreaked havoc in parts of Minna, the Niger State capital, destroying properties estimated at over N100 million and displacing several residents of the metropolitan city.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday following a heavy downpour that overwhelmed parts of Imani community in Minna South and M.I. Wushishi area of the metropolis.

A former Chairman of the Niger State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Abdullahi Idris, and a community leader in the affected area confirmed the development in a statement made available to journalists.

According to them, several houses were submerged, while vehicles, electrical appliances, fences and other valuables were damaged by the flood.

At M.I. Wushishi Housing estate, Tunga, Maitunbi, Chanchaga and Shango areas during a visit by DAILY POST, residents said the heavy rain destroyed fences, houses and swept away everything that stood on its part .

Members of the M.I. Wushishi Housing estate at the Eastern-Bypass of Minna, stated that floodwater swept through parts of the community, carrying debris and damaging houses, vehicles, a mosque and an Islamic school.

The residents blamed the worsening situation partly on inadequate drainage infrastructure, which they said had left communities vulnerable whenever there was heavy rainfall.

They also raised concerns over a dam reportedly constructed in the area by a man identified as Captain Taylor, saying the situation had become more severe in recent years.

The affected residents appealed to the Niger State Government, humanitarian organisations, philanthropists and other stakeholders to urgently intervene, provide relief to displaced families and address the drainage challenges responsible for recurring flooding.

They warned that without urgent measures, further heavy rainfall could result in more destruction and put lives and property at greater risk.

Sir Joseph Eze Okafor, a Nigerian billionaire businessman and founder of Jezco Oil and Jezco Group, has reportedly been kidnapped in Anambra State.

Okafor, who is also the father of Nigerian Instagram celebrity Jowizaza, was allegedly abducted last week while praying on a mountain in Awka, according to lawyer Chukwudi Iwuchukwu.

Iwuchukwu made the disclosure in a Facebook post on Sunday, claiming that the businessman had gone to the mountain alone to pray without his security details and police personnel attached to him.

According to him, Okafor was allegedly abducted by unidentified gunmen during the prayer session and taken to an unknown location.

The reported abduction has reportedly thrown the businessman’s community, Ekwulobia, into confusion and mourning.

Iwuchukwu described Okafor as the richest man from the community, adding that the significance of his influence was reflected in the community’s reported decision to postpone its annual New Yam Festival.

He said the festival, which had never been postponed before, was put on hold because community members felt it would be inappropriate to celebrate while the family of their “illustrious son” was dealing with the reported abduction.

“Sir Joseph Eze Okafor, a Nigerian billionaire businessman, the founder of Jezco oil and the Jezco group who is also the father of Nigerian Instagram celebrity Jowizaza, was reportedly kidnapped last week from a bush in Awka , in Anambra state.

“Apparently, the old man went to the mountain alone to pray and seek the face of God without his security details and his policemen attached to him as it has been a normal practice for the billionaire business man in the past.

“In the course of the fervent prayers and his vulnerability, he was picked up by an unknown gunmen who took him away to an unknown location

“The community where he comes from, Ekwulobia, has been thrown into confusion and mourning ever since the news of the abduction broke in the community,” Iwuchukwu wrote.

The Nigeria Police have rescued two teenage girls allegedly trafficked from Ogoja, Cross River State, to Ivory Coast, where they were reportedly forced into commercial sex work.

The victims, identified as Victoria, 16, and Comfort, 17, were repatriated to Nigeria following the intervention of policemen attached to the Ogoja Divisional Headquarters.

The girls reportedly told officials that they were lured with promises of better opportunities but were instead taken to Ivory Coast, where they allegedly suffered exploitation, physical abuse and other forms of hardship.

In a separate operation, police officers also intercepted two other teenage girls who were allegedly being trafficked from Ogoja through Lagos to Ivory Coast.

The intervention reportedly prevented the girls from being taken out of the country and falling into the hands of the suspected trafficking syndicate.

Receiving the rescued girls, the wife of the Ogoja Local Government Council chairman, Mrs Christy Asari Agbeh, condemned child trafficking and described it as a crime that exposes children to exploitation and deprives them of their future.

Agbeh commended the police for rescuing the victims and directed that the two repatriated girls be taken to General Hospital, Ogoja, for medical examination as part of efforts to begin their rehabilitation and reintegration.

She urged parents, guardians, traditional rulers, religious leaders and community members to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements involving children to security agencies.

She also warned young people against accepting dubious offers of lucrative jobs or better opportunities abroad without proper verification.

Agbeh said the Ogoja Local Government Council would continue to collaborate with security agencies and other stakeholders to protect children from trafficking and ensure that those responsible for the crime face justice.