SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

By Tosin Oyediran

Four hundred Nigerians have been deported from the United Arab Emirates and arrived in Nigeria, according to a report by the Nigerian Television Authority.

The deportees were received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser, in collaboration with the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, the National Emergency Management Agency, and other relevant stakeholders.

“Four hundred Nigerians, including 90 females and 310 males, have been deported from the United Arab Emirates back to Nigeria.

“They were received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by the office of the National Security Adviser in collaboration with the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and other stakeholders,” the news media said in a  Wednesday post on X.

The Federal Government repatriated a total of 190 Nigerians from the United Arab Emirates in July 2024, PUNCH Online reported.

Nigeria, UAE diplomatic issues

The diplomatic tension between Nigeria and the UAE has been ongoing, with the UAE imposing a visa ban on Nigerians nearly two years ago, stemming from various diplomatic disputes.

One major issue involved Dubai’s Emirates Airline halting flights to Nigeria after the Central Bank of Nigeria was unable to remit an estimated $85 million in revenue to the UAE.

In June, after several rounds of negotiations with UAE authorities, the Nigerian government assured its citizens that the visa ban would soon be lifted. Around the same time, it was announced that Nigeria had paid 98 per cent of the $850 million owed, signalling progress in resolving the dispute.

The recent deportation of 400 Nigerians comes amid these lingering diplomatic tensions, even as both nations have reportedly reached an agreement to lift travel restrictions on Nigerians.

The United Arab Emirates Government in July 2024 announced it had finally lifted visa restrictions imposed on Nigerians with immediate effect.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

A slump in visa applications from overseas students is threatening to hit the finances of some universities in London and other parts of Britain, leading economists are warning.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies highlighted Home Office figures showing 17.1 per cent (25,200) fewer applications for visas to study in the UK in August than in the same month last year.

It stressed that this continues the trend seen over recent months, with 16.6 per cent (55,500) fewer total applications in the year to date, compared to at the same point last year.

Kate Ogden, senior research economist at the IFS, said: “The latest figures on student visa applications, down by one-sixth compared to last year, suggest that UK universities may no longer be able to rely on recruiting ever-increasing numbers of international students to make up for real-terms falls in the resources available for teaching domestic undergraduate students.

“Much of the sector is in reasonable financial health and should be able to adjust. “But for some less-selective providers which rely heavily on international student fees and are facing greater competition for domestic students from more-selective competitors, the next academic year could be a difficult one.”

Most overseas students have been banned from bringing dependants since January as part of Government moves to reduce immigration. Individuals exempt from this restriction include foreign students whose course is a full-time postgraduate level research degree, or if they are on a government-sponsored course.

The Home Office data showed there were 15,500 applications from dependants of students between January and August 2024, 83 per cent fewer than in the same period last year. There were 278,700 applications from main applicants in January to August 2024, 17 per cent lower than compared to these months last year.

The Home Office stressed: “The number of sponsored applications to study in the UK tend to peak between July and September before the start of the academic year.

“It will be necessary to see the result of this peak in student applications in the Autumn before we can assess the full extent of any changes this year.”

But Dr Diana Beech, chief executive at London Higher which represents universities and colleges in the capital, warned: “Any further slowdown in international visas or other financial headwinds could have potentially significant economic costs.

“The picture in London is mixed, with some older, more established universities continuing to recruit well, but with other institutions having a tough recruitment cycle.” She added: “Any significant drop in recruitment could push many vulnerable universities into serious financial difficulty.

“London institutions are talent pipelines for many vital industries, which support the whole UK economy, so the consequences of a London institution failing could be nationwide.” The IFS explained that assuming September’s figures follow the pattern of recent months, it can be expected that there will be fewer international students enrolling in UK universities in the academic year that is about to start.

The highly-respected think tank stressed that universities in the UK had become increasingly reliant on international student fees to make up for falling funding for domestic undergraduate students.

Universities themselves have warned about the impact of fewer foreign students. Nearly £11 billion, or around a fifth, of all UK universities’ income came from fees charged to international students from outside the EU, which are not subject to the same caps as fees charged to domestic undergraduates, the IFS stated.

It emphasised that the university sector “as a whole appears to be in reasonable financial health”. While around one in five had a deficit in 2022/23, these tends to be “relatively small” compared to their net assets.

But it warned: “Recent UCAS data shows that less selective universities had received 19,200 (2.5 per cent) fewer applications from domestic students by the June deadline for the coming academic year, whereas applications to more selective providers held up much better.

“If these universities also find their international recruitment is more impacted by the curbs on dependent visas, they would face a bigger financial hit.” There has also been a fall in the number of applications for care and health visas.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

By Al-Mustapha Mustapha

Four hundred Nigerians, who were deported from the United Arab Emirates, have arrived in Nigeria.

A report by the Nigerian Television Authority said the deportees were received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser, in collaboration with the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, the National Emergency Management Agency, and other relevant stakeholders.

“Four hundred Nigerians, including 90 females and 310 males, have been deported from the United Arab Emirates back to Nigeria.

“They were received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by the office of the National Security Adviser in collaboration with the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and other stakeholders,” the news media said in a  Wednesday post on X.

On July 16, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), said 190 Nigerians were repatriated to Nigeria, with an additional 250 expected to return soon.

Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Chairman/CEO of NiDCOM, disclosed this during a visit to Ambassador Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, UAE Ambassador to Nigeria.

She visited the envoy few days after the UAE lifted the visa ban on Nigerians.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

By Dare Olawin

As Nigerians battle the persistent fuel crisis, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company has shut its petrol application portal against marketers, suspending fresh orders due to a huge backlog that has not been cleared.

At the moment, marketers said they could not access the portal through which they apply to NNPC for the purchase of petrol.

Our correspondent gathered that the marketers usually bid for PMS through the NNPC portal.

According to them, payments will be made through the same channel while the marketer waits for months to get the product.

Independent marketers told The PUNCH that NNPC owes them billions of naira, saying they paid the money for fuel but were not supplied after three months.

Recently, officials of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, reported that NNPC had stopped loading the trucks of IPMAN members, especially after the recent hike in petrol prices.

IPMAN members operate over 70 per cent of filling stations nationwide.

They expressed concern that the state-owned energy company did not attend to them despite having paid for petrol about two months ago.

This, they said, made them resort to patronising private depots who sell to them at higher rates.

When contacted by our correspondent, NNPC confirmed the shutdown of its petrol purchasing portal and gave its reasons.

According to its spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, the company shut the portal due to a significant backlog.

Soneye explained that the shutdown became necessary to stop the NNPC from holding marketers’ capital for too long.

“We have a significant backlog to address. The closure is intended to prevent us from holding marketers’ funds for an extended period,” Soneye explained.

He assured the marketers that the portal would be reopened after the backlog had been reduced.

“It will be reopened once the backlog has been sufficiently reduced. We are working to address it as soon as possible,” he told our correspondent.

Soneye did not disclose the amount of the backlog.

During an interview with The PUNCH in January, the National Vice President of IPMAN, Hammed Fashola, made a similar allegation which was denied by Soneye at the time.

Fashola had asked the Federal Government to review the current distribution pattern to give priority to IPMAN members.

Fashola said, “We buy products from NNPC cash and carry. We don’t enjoy any credit facility with the NNPC. There are times when we pay for products, and you don’t get the products for two or three months. You have your money in the coffers of the NNPC, which means they are trading with our money.

“If I am not exaggerating, we should be talking of over N300bn, when you consider the number of marketers all over Nigeria. Our money is always there, trapped, while we keep struggling to get fuel. The three days will turn into months if they don’t have products or they are out of stock, you have to wait, and your money will be there.”

The PUNCH observes that while the fuel queues are subsiding, the price of a litre of petrol remains unaffordable for many Nigerians.

In NNPC filling stations and stations owned by major marketers, a litre of petrol goes for prices ranging from N855 to N900. These stations are usually riddled with long queues.

However, independent marketers sell for as high as N1,000/litre or more, depending on the location.

So far, the cost of transportation has doubled across the nation.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) has secured the bid to provide passenger and cargo ground handling services for Dubai based mega carrier, Emirates Airlines at the Lagos airport, as the Middle East carrier is scheduled to resume flight services in October.

The company said in a statement that this renewed contract underscores NAHCO’s unrelenting commitment to delivering exceptional ground handling services and highlight its role as a critical partner in Nigeria’s aviation industry.

The agreement with Emirates Airlines reinforces NAHCO’s position as the trusted service provider to some of the world’s leading airlines.

Chairman, NAHCO Plc, Dr. Seinde Fadeni, said: “We are honoured to welcome Emirates Airlines back to Nigeria and to continue our longstanding relationship with this important airline. Securing this renewal is a testament to NAHCO’s consistent quality of service and the trust our partners place in us. We look forward to further strengthening valued partnerships and continuing to set the standard for ground handling in Nigeria.”

Group Executive Director, Commercial and Business Development at NAHCO Plc, Prince Saheed Lasisi, said: “Our successful renewal of this contract with Emirates Airlines is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of the entire NAHCO team. We are proud to be the preferred ground handlers once again for Emirates as they resume their flights to Nigeria. Our focus remains on delivering world-class services that meet and exceed the expectations of our airline partners.”

Also, the Group Managing Director/CEO of NAHCO Plc, Mr. Indranil Gupta, noted that it was a privilege to have been chosen once more by Emirates Airlines for their ground handling needs at Lagos Airport, and to extend the company’s successful partnership with one of world’s leadingairlines.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

By Omeiza Ajayi, ABUJA

The Federal Government has declared Monday, 16th September 2024 as a public holiday to mark the Islamic festival of Eid-ul-Mawlid, the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.

Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government.

He congratulated Muslim Ummah both at home and in the Diaspora on this occasion.

Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, in a statement on Friday, said Dr Tunji-Ojo urged the Muslim Ummah and, by extension, Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of patience, sacrifice, and resilience.

“While congratulating the Muslim Ummah on the occasion of Eid-ul-Mawlid, the Minister implored them to use the opportunity of the period to pray for enduring peace and a more prosperous egalitarian nation,” the statement added.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

The United Kingdom (UK) government has announced new financial requirements for foreign students intending to study in the country, with an increase in the proof of funds amount.

According to the Home Office, international students planning to study in London will now need to show proof of £1,483 per month [approximately N3.1m] to cover living expenses, while those studying outside of London must provide evidence of £1,136 [N2.4m] per month.

This marks an increase from the previous rates of £1,334 for London and £1,023 for other cities across the UK.

Under the new guidelines, students enrolled in courses lasting nine months or longer in London will need to demonstrate savings of at least £13,348 to apply for a student visa.

The Home Office explained that this adjustment is aimed at aligning the financial requirements for international students with the updated maintenance loans available to domestic students, ensuring that both groups have sufficient funds to cover living costs.

The increase reflects the rising cost of living in the UK, with the Home Office noting that the updated requirements are essential for keeping pace with inflation.

Students must meet the financial requirement for each month of their course, up to a maximum of nine months.

However, if a student has already paid for UK accommodation, the deposit can be deducted from the total amount of funds they are required to show.

These changes will take effect for students arriving in the UK on or after January 2, 2025.

The Home Office also indicated that it will continue to adjust the financial requirements in the future to account for inflation and changes in domestic maintenance loans.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2024

By Olasunkanmi Akinlotan

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, recently wrote a diplomatic letter to the United Kingdom aviation handlers requesting landing slots for Air Peace, at the UK’s Choice airport in Heathrow. These requests sparked discussions in the industry, OLASUNKANMI AKINLOTAN x-rays the matter

The media has been filled with reports about the protest letter written by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to his British counterpart. The letter was written to lodge a formal complaint about the UK airport authority’s refusal to allow the Nigerian Air Peace to land at Heathrow Airport.

In a letter dated August 1, 2024, and addressed to Louise Haigh, the UK Secretary of State for Transport, Keyamo warned that if Air Peace was not allocated a space at London Heathrow, Nigeria would be forced to “reciprocate” by denying British Airways and Virgin Atlantic slots at the Lagos and Abuja airports.

Although Heathrow is the UK’s primary airport, Air Peace currently operates from Gatwick Airport, a secondary airport.

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The UK’s Heathrow Airport could be compared to Nigeria’s Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, and Gatwick Airport, UK, may be likened to the Enugu International Airport.

Efforts by Air Peace to get a slot at Heathrow, which is closer to the heart of London, have been unsuccessful, PUNCH has learnt.

Meanwhile, Nigeria and the United Kingdom are both parties to a bilateral aviation safety agreement, an agreement that provides for Civil Aviation Certifications to be shared between the two countries.

This agreement is called the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement.

A BASA sets out obligations and methods for cooperation between the authorities to avoid unnecessary duplication of evaluation, and to facilitate the certification of aeronautical products by the civil aviation authorities.

A BASA, therefore, supports trade in aircraft and related products, while ensuring the highest levels of aviation safety.

This agreement also allows airport managers to provide equal landing privileges to aircraft from member countries in their domain.

Meanwhile, some industry stakeholders were of the view that the Nigeria-UK BASA agreement promoted designated city destinations rather than specific airports.

The stakeholder said Heathrow cannot be explicitly mentioned in the agreement as it falls outside the purview of the Department of Transport and given the UK government’s lack of involvement in airport slot allocation.

They advised Air Peace to address the issue independently and not escalate it.

Meanwhile, the diplomatic dispute between the two countries took another dimension when Airport Coordination Limited, the independent authority responsible for slot allocation in the UK, disclosed that Air Peace missed two critical deadlines while requesting landing slots.

The company claimed that Air Peace failed to submit its slot requests on time for the Northern Summer 2024 and Northern Winter 2024 scheduling seasons.

The missed deadlines, as disclosed by the slot allocator, have added a new layer of complexity to the situation, raising genuine concerns over the airline’s ability to gain a foothold at one of the world’s busiest airports.

A top officer in the airline, who preferred not to be mentioned considering the current diplomatic nature of the matter, told our correspondent that the airline was not happy with the refusal by the UK authority to allow Air Peace aircraft to land at Heathrow airport.

He noted that the airline would not want to dabble into the matter, adding, “It is important to note that we have done due diligence in ensuring that we get a slot, but they were claiming the crowd was too much for them. Only for us to now start hearing that they claimed that we did not apply for two seasons. The same you that initially claimed no slots were owing to the crowd?

“Just like I said earlier, we have done due diligence and we will continue to do what is right. We pray that God backs the minister to help us get the desired slots from them.”

However, the Nigerian government has continued to allow UK flag bearers to land in Nigeria’s primary airports even while aviation authorities in the UK remained adamant on the matter.

In reaction to the development, Keyamo, through his letter, expressed displeasure over the development.

The diplomatic correspondence, which was leaked to the media, reads partly saying, “The consistent denial of slot” by the UK slot office to Air Peace on the Nigeria-London route to fly into Heathrow, its first choice, since it began operations in the UK in March 2024.

“The airline had made consistent efforts in the past to fly into Heathrow Airport from Lagos but was denied, and only approved to fly into Gatwick Airport from Lagos.

“Following the approval granted the airline by the Nigerian government to fly the Abuja-London route, the airline approached the slot office for slot allocation at the London Heathrow Airport, for flight operations planned to commence in November 2024, during the IATA Winter Season. It is highly disheartening that up till this moment, the airline has not received any favourable response from the slot office.”

He reminded the UK that both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic were operating into Nigeria’s primary airports in Lagos and Abuja without encumbrances placed in their ways.

British Airways has been flying into Lagos since 1936.

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“Therefore, it is necessary for Nigerian designated carriers to enjoy similar reciprocity that British carriers are enjoying. It is highly unfair on the side of the British authorities and a discredit to the Nigerian authorities and the Nigerian nation as a whole, for slot allocation to Nigerian carriers to be an issue at all times. We feel betrayed by the British authorities for not reciprocating the good gesture of the Nigerian State and its people,” Keyamo wrote.

The minister told the UK airport authority not to allow the slot allocation issue to be an alibi to deny the existence of a bilateral Air Services Agreement between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, whose hallmark was based on the principle of reciprocity.

Following the minister’s threat, a junior staff member of Air Peace, who did not want to be mentioned because he was not in a capacity to speak for the company told our correspondent, “Obviously, the management is concerned by this development between the UK and Nigerian governments, but we are only taking solace in the possibility that the matter may be resolved before the deadline given.”

Also, when contacted, British Airways’ Regional Country Manager for Nigeria and Ghana, Adetutu Otuyalu, who was initially responding to chats from our correspondent, suddenly went mute after the question was posed to her.

Reactions

The President of the Association of Foreign Airlines and Representatives in Nigeria, Dr Kingsley Nwokoma, backed Keyamo, saying if UK airlines could enjoy Nigeria’s best airports, such privilege should also be reciprocated.

He also called for more diplomacy in resolving the matter.

His words, “If they are enjoying our best airport, since we do not have a national carrier, our current national flag carrier should be allowed to fly to their own best airports too.

“This is not rocket science. Both Nigeria and the UK are parties to BASA. So, why shouldn’t our flag carrier be allowed to land at their best airport?

“This once happened between Air Peace and the UAE and the Nigerian government sat with them and things were resolved so, I want to advise that the same tactics be employed to resolve this matter.”

Also, a commercial pilot with over 30 years of experience, Captain John Okakpu, lauded the minister’s decision to shut the landing space against both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic pending the provision of landing rights to Air Peace.

He recalled that the former military Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, once shut airlines from the UK when they once disallowed the defunct Nigeria Airways from landing in the UK’s A’ class airport.

“If they refused to allow Air Peace to land in Heathrow, the minister should also banish the airlines to maybe Enugu or even Ibadan.

“Abacha stopped them from coming to our country at a time. They should also feel what we are feeling. Why should they have 21 frequencies to Nigeria and the less than seven we have, they won’t still allow us to complete it even as Nigeria’s flag carrier?  At least Arik is not as sophisticated as Air Peace and they go to Heathrow. What is the meaning of all these?

“Can you imagine what Nigerians go through when their cargoes get to Gatwick? They always have to transport it to Heathrow after paying so much for airlifting from their primary destination, which cannot continue. When passengers are going to the U.S. from Nigeria, they will be taken to Gatwick and then transported back to Heathrow before getting their connecting flight to the U.S. So why should Nigerians go through this unnecessary pain and extra spending?” he quizzed.

Ranking

Although Heathrow is now ranked 12th in the global ranking, slipping from its position at 8th in 2023, a survey by aviation analyst Cirium, which calculated the number of airports each hub served between January and June 2024, showed.

It comes despite the west London airport handling more passengers than any of its European competitors and offering over 4.5 million seats this month, according to OAG Aviation.

It was ranked the world’s fifth busiest airport last year.

Its ranking as best-connected has improved considerably in recent years, as pre-pandemic records revealed the west London hub stood in 18th position, according to the Independent.

In the first half of 2024, it served 221 locations, while London Gatwick Airport served 218 and has been positioned 14th.

It trails Heathrow by two spots despite serving half of the passengers Heathrow does.

In the list whittled down from airports worldwide, Istanbul emerged on top with some 309 destinations on offer. Most are on Turkish Airlines, the carrier with the most extensive route network in the world.

It is followed by Istanbul Frankfurt, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol, with 296, 282 and 270 locations on their departure screens, respectively.

The only other European airport in the top 10 and  10th position is Rome Fiumicino, with 234 locations.

Meanwhile, Chicago O’Hare is the top non-European airport listed, serving 270 airports next to Dubai International, which serves 269 airports.

Dallas-Fort Worth, Shanghai Pudong and Atlanta occupy seventh, eighth and ninth place in the table, respectively.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2024

• Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced
• The floods destroyed a prison's walls, leading to over 300 escaping 
• So far 30 people have died due to the floods 

Hundreds of thousands in Nigeria have fled their homes to avoid the sweeping floods that have devastated the country and allowed nearly 300 prisoners to escape a single jail. 

Maiduguri, the capital of the northern Borno state, suffered its worst floods in decades this week, which decimated a dam that was holding back the water. 

The flood has killed at least 30 people according to the country's emergency agency and affected a million others, with hundreds of thousands of people forced into camps for displaced people. Since the beginning of the rainy season, nearly 260 people have been killed. 

In Maiduguri, the floods 'brought down the walls of the correctional facilities including the Medium Security Custodial Centre, as well as the staff quarters in the city,' officials said, adding that so far just seven have been recaptured. 

Meanwhile, regular citizens haven't been quite as lucky. 

She screamed and people helped her escape with her six children.

Flood waters have displaced more than one million people in and around Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, in one of the worst ever floods in Africa's most populous country.

Thousands of homes were engulfed by rapidly rising waters after a dam burst following a weekend of torrential rain in northeastern Nigeria.

'I shouted for help in terror and some men outside heard my scream and came into the house which was already flooded and rescued us,' said Yakubu, 26, describing her survival as a 'miracle'.

She and her children took shelter in one of the eight camps set up by authorities.

Flood waters have displaced more than one million people in and around Maiduguri, the capital of Brno State

Yobe state emergency workers and Nigerian soldiers rescue people from flooded areas in Maiduguri, northern Borno state

Thousands of homes were engulfed by rapidly rising waters after a dam burst following a weekend of torrential rain in northeastern Nigeria

NEMA's director general Zubaida Umar said on X on Thursday she was relieved that the 'flood level in Maiduguri is receding, and normalcy is beginning to return to the metropolis,' adding that rescue operations were ongoing in the city flooded up to 40 percent.

'Children and families are still trapped in their homes,' British charity Save The Children said in a statement on Friday.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2024

At least 274 inmates have escaped custody after floods tore down the walls of a prison in Nigeria’s Borno state.

Initially, 281 inmates escaped while they were being transferred to “a safe and secure facility” but seven were recaptured later, Nigerian Correctional Service spokesman Abubakar Umar said in a statement on Sunday.

“The flood brought down the walls of the correctional facilities, including the medium security custodial center Maiduguri (MSCC) as well as the staff quarters in the city,” he said.

Umar added that the service was aware of escapees’ identities, including their biometrics, and had made this information “available to the public.”

The search for the inmates was ongoing, he said.

Weeks of flooding across Nigeria have led to 229 deaths and displaced more than 386,000 people, according to the latest data from the country’s disaster management agency NEMA, shared with CNN.

Northern Nigeria has been the most affected by the floods, the data showed. Borno state is in the northeast of the country.

Last month, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) also warned of the rising water levels of the Niger River, one of the country’s largest rivers, urging states to be on alert.

Extreme rainfall events are expected to increase in frequency and intensity across almost all of Africa, including Nigeria, as human-caused climate change heats the planet, projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change show.

On Wednesday, floodwaters that gushed from an overflowing dam in northern Nigeria engulfed a zoo and swept animals including crocodiles and snakes into nearby communities.