The disaster has also forced some 1.3 million people to leave their homes, the country’s ministry of humanitarian affairs said.

“Unfortunately, more than 603 lives have been lost as of today October 16, 2022," the humanitarian affairs minister Sadiya Umar Farouq said.

The minister noted that the flooding had also completely destroyed more than 82,000 houses and nearly 110,000 hectares of farmland.

“There was enough warning and information about the 2022 flood but States, Local Governments, and Communities appear not to take heed,” she added. (ILKHA)