Nigeria floods displace millions

Almost half of the population in Nigeria's central-northern Jigawa state has been displaced after authorities had to open floodgates on two swollen rivers. "We have about two million people affected," in a state which has 4.3 million people, Umar Kyari, the spokesman of Jigawa state, said on Friday. He said the flooding was caused after authorities opened floodgates of the Challawa and Tiga dams in neighboring Kano state to avoid overflowing following heavy rains. "When the rains became too much they realized the water was too much and opened the dams," Kyari told AFP news agency from Dutse, the capital of Jigawa state. "Over 5,000 villages in 11 of our 27 local government areas were affected. It started more than two months ago and it's continuing as I speak," he said.