Disaster hit Makurdi, Benue State capital and several communities in the state, yesterday, as an unprecedented surge of River Benue swept away several houses, leaving thousands of people homeless with property worth billions of naira washed away.

The surge which started building up Sunday night had at the last count, submerged close to 10,000 residential houses, business places, huts and farmlands.

Worst hit by the devastation were houses within the bank of the river and most structures within[b] five kilometres radius of the river[/b]. Some of the affected communities included: Kucha Otebe, Gyado Villa, brick factories in Wadata and New Garage, the abattoir along the new Makurdi Bridge, North Bank and the highbrow Judges quarters area of the town where Senate Minority Leader, Senator George Akume and Minister of State, Trade and Investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom have their residential houses.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/09/river-benue-surge-disaster-hits-makurdi/

A closer look at the google map, according to the report, indicates that the scope of the disaster is indeed serious.

I was going to post this. This is serious!

I was wondering, will River Benue's contribution to River Niger in downstream Southern Nigeria not lead to another overflow in the Niger basin?