Due to the floods, dangerous reptiles have reportedly taken over the homes of several residents of the Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State as even the snakes are being forced out of their natural abodes.

The Transition Chairman of Ogbaru Council Area, Mr Arinze Awogu, who disclosed this on Sunday, said some displaced people were already moving into the holding camps prepared for them.

Awogu said the level of the River Niger had continued to rise, making streets and flood channels that emptied into the River to flow backwards.

The LGA Chairman said no fewer than 1,000 persons have been forced out of their homes. He reported that a big cobra which found its way into an apartment in Atani was killed with the assistance of operatives from the Atani Divisional Police Station.

According to him, the cobra was killed in Atani, the man in whose house it was killed miraculously escaped being bitten by the snake the previous night as he went into his Boys Quarters in search of some documents.

“On sighting the snake, he quickly shut the door and invited the police from Atani police division who teargassed the room and the reptile became uncomfortable, but as it made its way out, it was killed by those around,” he said.

Awogu advised people of the area to always shut their doors at all times and spread repellants to ward off the unwanted guests as most of them had been displaced from their natural habitat.

“Snakes and other dangerous reptiles are being driven out of their habitats by the flood and people’s homes are likely to be where the deadly animals may be seeking refuge,” he said.

The council chairman said more people were being displaced from their homes by the flood and that they had started moving into the three holding camps in the council.

He regretted that flooding had become a yearly experience for the people and assured them of care while in the camps.

“People are leaving their homes and heading to the holding centres created by the Anambra government for people in flood–prone local government areas.

“The task now is to ensure they have the necessities of existence like food, healthcare and other facilities, while waiting for the flood to recede.

“In addition to what the state government is doing, we are calling on the Federal Government through NEMA to come to our aid,” he said.