The Federal Government has dismissed reports that water is being released from Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam and causing flooding in parts of the Benue River Basin, including Taraba and Benue states.

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NiHSA) said available reservoir operation data showed that the Lagdo Dam authorities were currently impounding water rather than releasing it downstream into Nigeria.

NiHSA, in a statement issued on Sunday said the water level at the Lagdo Reservoir stood at 209.82 metres, against its maximum operating level of 216 metres, leaving 6.18 metres of additional capacity for water to be stored.

The agency said the circulating reports linking the release of water from the dam to flooding in Nigeria were therefore incorrect.

It said flooding currently being experienced in several parts of the country was largely flash flooding caused by intense and prolonged rainfall, with poor drainage systems, indiscriminate disposal of waste and unauthorised urban development worsening the situation.

The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NiHSA, Umar Ibrahim Mohammed, also said water levels at Nigeria’s major inland dams, Kainji and Jebba, remained within normal operating conditions.

According to the agency, Kainji Dam currently has a reservoir level of 130.38 metres, compared with its maximum operating level of 141.83 metres, while the water level at Jebba Reservoir stands at 100.03 metres.

NiHSA said both dams were experiencing relatively low inflows compared with their long-term averages, insisting that the current situation did not warrant public alarm.

The agency assured Nigerians that any release of water from Lagdo Dam capable of affecting downstream communities in Nigeria would follow established dam-management procedures and would be communicated through appropriate official channels.

NiHSA urged members of the public and the media to avoid spreading unverified information capable of heightening fear over possible flood incidents.

The agency said it would continue to monitor water levels at the Lagdo Reservoir and other inland rivers, while providing flood forecasts and early-warning information to support the protection of lives, livelihoods and property.