Abuja — FLOODS devastating Nigeria have left at least 15 people dead and over 25 000 people affected.

The escalating tolls have been recorded as the rainy season reaches its peak in the plagued West African country.

Seven states are affected by the flooding, particularly the central Niger and the northern Bauchi, where at least eight and seven people respectively have been killed .

The southwestern state of Ondo meanwhile has the highest number of people affected, with more than 15 700 victims.

Around the country, scores of civilians have been injured and vast farmlands destroyed during the inclement weather.

Humanitarian organisations lamented that victims had relocated to host families and under-equipped transit sites such as schools.

"As the extreme weather conditions continue, their current shelter solutions will not be able to meet basic requirements," said a spokesperson of the Red Cross.

The organisation stated that the poor and fragile shelter conditions were exposing children and the elderly people to respiratory and waterborne diseases.

Red Cross has appealed for support to assist the affected households meet basic health and hygiene, water, sanitation and food needs.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has meanwhile commenced a medical outreach to thousands of people internally displaced people in the northern state of Katsina.

Group Captain Azubuike Chukwuka, NAF Director of Public Health and Humanitarian Services, said the organisation expected to attend to 2 000 patients and perform 40 surgeries in the coming days.

NAF has also distributed mosquito nets, eye glasses and drugs.
15 people are killed and over 25,000 are affected after heavy floods hits Nigeria.