No fewer than 29 people have been confirmed killed, with over 329,000 houses destroyed, leaving thousands of residents displaced in a devastating flood that engulfed Kebbi State in north eastern Nigeria.

The State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Yakubu Birnin Kebbi, who made the confirmation at a press conference on Friday, stated that the ravaging flood also submerged 858,000 hectares of farmland, wiping out key crops such as rice, millet, sorghum, and beans, sparking fears of an impending food crisis.

Kebbi said the state government was presently struggling to manage the aftermath of the flood as the scope of the disaster had overwhelmed local resources.

He noted that the State Governor, Dr Nasir Idris’s administration had done its best to assist those affected by the disaster, though the magnitude of the flood demanded more help from interventionist agencies.

He added that the state government had compiled a report on the flood’s impact, which would be submitted to federal agencies in a bid to secure more aid.

“Many of the people have lost their means of livelihood, the disaster has forced farmers into penury, shortage of food looms on the horizon, and our food security target is in jeopardy unless urgent measures are put in place to remedy the situation,” the Commissioner said.

“The Kebbi Government will provide improved seeds and other agricultural input to farmers to return to cultivation, but more is needed.

“Preliminary statistics show that seven persons died in Ngaski, eight in Maiyama, five in Kalgo, seven in Jega, and two in Birnin Kebbi, as a result of the flooding.

He however lamented the fact that the federal government and lawmakers from the state have not done much by way of assistance, adding that he was not aware of a N3 billion grant for flood mitigation from the Nigerian government as being insinuated.

“I am also surprised that members from Kebbi State in the National Assembly, including Senators, are yet to visit the areas ravaged by flooding to offer the necessary assistance and sympathy,” he emphasized.

The president of one of Zambia’s opposition parties, New Era Democratic (NED), Pumulo Situmbeko, has accused President Hakainde Hichilema of being manipulative and authoritarian, following the recent suspension of three Constitutional Court judges.

Situmbeko, who bared her mind in an interview with Zambia Monitor, described the action of the president as a direct attack on democracy.

Situmbeko noted that the judges had presided over former President Edgar Lungu’s 2021 eligibility case, and questioned the timing and motivations behind their suspension by Hichilema, saying the president’s action raised significant concerns about conflict of interest and authoritarianism as the case directly involved him.

“For a sitting president to dismiss or appoint judges in a matter that involves him personally is not only a profound abuse of power but also a breach of professional ethics and integrity,” the NED leader said.

She however, warned that the move compromised the judiciary’s independence and eroded public trust in the justice system, emphasizing that by suspending the judges involved in a case concerning the president, there was a risk that remaining or newly appointed judges could be influenced or intimidated into making biased rulings.

“This manipulation of the judiciary to serve the president’s interests threatens the very foundation of impartial justice, which is critical to democracy,” Situmbeko stated.

She also raised concerns about Joseph Busengwa, the individual who requested the judges’ suspension, pointing out his close personal relationship with the president, as evidenced on social media which calls into question the motivations behind the suspensions and the possible influence of external actors on judicial decisions.

“The involvement of an individual closely connected to the president, with a questionable background, in this process is deeply troubling,” Situmbeko said.

Situmbeko highlighted that Lungu’s eligibility case had been heard multiple times, with no new compelling evidence presented to warrant reopening it.

“This is not only a waste of judicial resources but a deliberate attempt to manipulate the outcome of a previously settled matter,” she concluded.