Nigerian farmer Enoch Fater has barely slept in the last few days after water levels started rising at his paddy rice farm and in a major river nearby, pointing to impending floods in Benue state, a major food producer in the central belt.

Borno state Governor Babagana Zulum described the extent of the damage as "beyond human imagination". This is the first time that the Nigerian authorities have admitted to the numbers who fled custody.

The aftermath of flooding in Nigeria's northeast is raising alarming humanitarian concerns, with thousands facing displacement and a sharp increase in prices that threaten food security.:: Released2,

Nigerian farmer Enoch Fater has barely slept in the last few days after water levels started rising at his paddy rice farm and in a major river nearby, pointing to impending floods in Benue state.

The release of water from the Lagdo dam is an annual event, and has triggered flooding in Nigeria in the past — including in 2022 when more than 500 people were killed.