Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse
Across many cultures, it is a tradition to pray for abundant rainfall. However, this is certainly not the case in Jigawa State, where many residents are fervently offering prayers for Allah to halt the rains, at least for now.
The cause of their prayers: When rain falls, it pours down so heavily and leaves behind pains, agony and destruction. In the past few months, floods from rainfalls claimed 18 lives, displaced over 20,000 households and destroyed thousands of items of property.
In fact, 20-year-old Fatsuma Musa would have been alive, but for the rains. She lost her life when her house caved in on her and her husband in Auno village, Kafin Hausa Local Government. Residents struggled desperately to rescue the couple from beneath the debris of the mud. But they failed.
The police spokesperson, Superintendent Abdul Jinjiri, said the couple was eventually evacuated and were unconscious at the time of their rescue: “They were rushed to Kafin-Hausa General Hospital for medical attention, where the wife, Fatsuma was confirmed dead and the husband was said to be responding to treatment.” Mallam Musa Awaisu, the husband, told Daily Sun that he lost his wife and lost his entire property to the flood.
But this is only one of the numerous sad stories of rainfalls hunting the people. No fewer than 10 people were also killed after days of flood. The downpour killed herds of cattle and washed away houses and farmlands in many local government areas.
Executive Secretary, Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Alhaji Sani Yusuf, said the flood affected Kirikasamma, Kafin Hausa, Guri and Birnin Kudu local governments: “One of the most touching aspects of the catastrophe was the death of a pregnant woman, named Halima Manu. She died alongside her two children, namely Aisha, who was four years old and her two-year-old brother, Dauda. They were killed after their mud house collapsed on them in the middle of the rain.
“Last year, over 1,200 farmlands were washed away while about 450 houses were destroyed in about 15 local government areas. This year, some of the local government areas unaffected last year such as Miga, Ringim, Taura and Buji, have been terribly affected by this year’s flood. So far, the over 200 communities submerged by flood are in dire need of intervention from the Federal Government.”
In another development, a bridge linking Dumis with Bigidan in Waza village of Birnin Kudu LG collapsed, disconnecting the people of the two communities. The village head of Waza, Alhaji Muhammad Sani Yusuf, said no fewer than 50 houses collapsed on account of the flood. He added several hectares of farmland with their produce were destroyed.
Vice Chairman, Birnin Kudu LG, Alhaji Yusuf Aliyu Wurno, said 10 communities were seriously affected by the flood including Waza, Bodunga, Kawo, Shunwur, Sundumina, Rijiya Bakwai and some quarters within Birnin Kudu town.
Deputy Governor, Alhaji Umar Namadi, who visited the areas affected, stressed that government was doing its best to bring assistance to communities and persons in Guri, Kiri-Kasamma, Auyo, Jahun, Birnin Kudu, Ringim, Dutse, Kafin Hausa and in all other areas affected by flood:
“Government intended to relocate some of the affected communities to areas not prone to flood as part of the long term strategy to address the problem.” He lamented the huge losses recorded in the flood: “Government cannot continue to spend such huge amount of money on a situation that can be averted.”
Namadi appealed to the Federal Government and international organisations to support the victims: “Government will do all its best to bring relief to them.”