By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Three people have been killed in Bauchi State in the North East due to flood from torrential rain that now tallies up to 2,062 the number of houses and 6,000 farmlands destroyed this year.
Flood also killed 26 people in Kano in the North Central, and destroyed 2,026 houses and wrecked 95 farms last weekend, and extended the havoc to Adamawa in the North East where it displaced 2,000 residents and overran 300 farms.
Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency (BASEMA) Head of Operations, Abubakar Gabarin, confirmed in Bauchi that many communities in 17 councils were affected and property valued at N900 million destroyed, per The Nation reporting.
He named the councils as Alkaleri, Kirfi, Jammare, Bauchi, Ningi, Zaki Giade, Itas Gadau Gamawa, Shira, Darazo, Dambam Bogoro, Katagum, Dass and Warji.
Gabarin said those whose households were washed away are taking refuge in neighbours’ homes and neighbouring villages.
Flood displaces 2,000 people, destroys 300 farms in Adamawa
In neighbouring Adamawa, flood destroyed bridges on two major roads in Maiha Council – Jabbi-Lamba to Belel and Nguli to Belel, which run across a number of other council areas in northern Adamawa.
“The communities have been completely cut off from the rest of the world,” Abubakar said, adding that being agrarian communities many farmers are severely affected by the collapse of the two roads.
No life was lost but valuable properties were destroyed by the floods, he added.
Before the latest mishap, Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA) had confirmed that no fewer than 2,000 people were affected across the state by a flood that resulted from a heavy downpour last weekend.
ADSEMA Executive Secretary Mohamed Sulaiman disclosed in Yola that 227 houses were submerged and 300 farmlands destroyed.
According to him, 850 of the victims and 161 houses were in Duhu District in Madagali Council.
Sulaiman recalled that between August 11 and 12, a flood destroyed more than 150 farmlands and about 66 houses in Lababiri village in Shelleng Council.
Flood tragedy in Kano
Kano State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) disclosed last weekend that 95 farms and property worth N1.5 billion were destroyed in eight councils – Bunkure, Minjibir, Tarauni, Doguwa, Rano, Ungogo, Tudun Wada, and Tsanyawa.
The disaster was foretold by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) which warned of heavy flooding from rain in 25 councils, according to Kano State Emergency Management Agency (KSEMA) Executive Secretary, Sale Jili.
“About 26 people were killed, 2,026 houses destroyed, 95 rice farms washed away while 19 people were injured due to flooding in the state,” he said, per The Nation.
“We have visited Bunkure, Minjibir, Tarauni and Doguwa to distribute relief materials to the victims as a measure to alleviate their sufferings.
“The items distributed include food, bags of cement, roofing sheets, mats and blankets.”
KSEMA has deployed personnel to Tudun Wada Council to assess the damage and develop comprehensive data.
The state government, in collaboration with Abuja, has set up an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp that can accommodate over 700 people, and the camp is furnished with mattresses and beddings, Jili added.
He urged residents to report any disaster to their ward heads, to stop dumping refuse on waterways, and clear their drainage to avert flooding.