At least 285 people have died and more than 640,000 have been displaced across Nigeria, the largest country in West Africa, by the devastating floods. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the country’s national disaster management agency, gave this information in a statement on Wednesday.
According to government statements, 31 of Nigeria’s 36 provinces are affected by floods. The flood has already destroyed 99 thousand 46 houses, at least 1 lakh 27 thousand 544 hectares of crops and hundreds of roads and bridges.
In a statement on Monday, Nigeria’s Ministry of Prisons Affairs said the wall of the main prison in Maiduguri, the capital of the country’s Borno state, had collapsed due to flooding. Since then, 281 prisoners are missing.

Due to heavy rains and landslides, flooding has started across the West African region. Residents said that such severe floods have not been seen in the last few decades. At least 400,000 people have been affected by the floods in West Africa including Nigeria.
The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR also issued a statement on Thursday expressing concern over the floods in Nigeria.