Downpour In Jigawa Renders Many Homeless As 50 People Reportedly Die From Flooding

A massive flood has ravaged communities in Jigawa State, with thousands of people displaced, building collapsing, and 50 people reportedly dead.

The Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) confirmed that 50 people, including a newborn, were killed in a building collapse due to heavy downpours in different parts of the state.

The Executive Secretary of SEMA, Alhaji Yusuf Sani, told newsmen that several houses were either damaged or destroyed, rendering several families homeless.

Sani said the displaced persons were currently taking refuge in 11 temporary camps, while others stayed with their relatives, as the agency was making efforts to open camps to accommodate the victims.

He added that the agency had been providing the victims, including those staying with their relatives, with items and other basic needs.

According to him, the worst hit areas are Kafinhausa and Balangu villages, all in the Kafinhausa Local Government Area of the state.

“He said in Kafinhausa, six people died, 68 hospitalized and 1,436 lost their houses, while in Balangu four people died and 238 lost their houses.

He said the agency got information about the death of seven people from the same family including a newborn baby in a building collapse on Sunday in Kafinhausa.

“From the report we have, if you combine the number is getting to 50 since the commencement of the rainy season,” the executive secretary said.

Sani said he could not immediately give the exact number of communities and people affected by the disaster in the state because the personnel of the agency was still assessing the level of damage and compiling a list of the victims.

“There is a camp around Kafinhausa that accommodates over 1,000 displaced persons. “Some have over 300, so I cannot tell you the exact number because we are still taking people there,” Sani said.

He, however, commended the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for its prompt response to the disaster by bringing succor to the victims.

NEMA has begun the distribution of relief items to the victims in the six most affected LGAs of Hadejia, Kirikasamma, Kafinhausa, Birniwa, Kaugama, and Malammadori.

The relief items according to the agency, are 7,650 bags of rice, 6,450 bags of maize, 950 cans of 20 liters of vegetable oil, 530 cartons of seasoning, 50 bags of 20kg salt, and 6,000 bags of cement.

” Maybe by tomorrow or so I can tell you the exact number of people affected.

“And as I was telling you, the disaster occurred in all the 27 LGAs because it’s a matter of rainfall and we had rain for good three days in Jigawa nonstop. So all the 27 LGAs are affected.

“So our personnel is already in the remaining 21 LGAs taking the assessment and as soon as we receive the report, we will forward it to NEMA and donor Organisations for intervention,” the executive secretary added.