The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), on Wednesday cautioned people evacuated from flood-prone areas against returning to their former abode until proper assessment was done.
Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, the Information Officer of NEMA, South West zone, gave the advice in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
He said that people evacuated from flood-prone areas should be very cautious in returning to their formal bases.
He said that the agency and other relevant professionals have not completed?the necessary post-disaster assessment on affected structures and the environment.
“From what we have done so far, we discovered that many of such structures were not inhabitable again.
“We have heard story?of people being attacked by wild animals, which were equally?displaced from their natural habitat by the flooding.
“So people must apply caution in returning to their homes,’’ he said.
Farinloye suggested that the affected areas should be fumigated before it can be fit for human habitation again so as to avoid epidemics.
The NEMA spokesman said that it was absurd for people to go back home “when a thorough post disaster assessment’’ had not been done in the affected areas.
“Our duty is to intensify our enlightenment campaign to create awareness on the dangers inherent in returning to such environment without assessment,’’ he said.
Farinloye, however, said that the agency could not force the people against their will.
“If the evacuated people are saying that now is the peak of business?and that they want to go back to the flood prone areas, they will be risking their lives.
“But we?will continue our awareness programmes to discourage them from doing so,’’ he said. (NAN)