Nigeria: Heavy rainfall claims five lives in Jigawa

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Heavy rainfall has killed five people and destroyed thousands of houses and farm products worth millions of naira across various towns and villages in seven local government areas in Jigawa State.

Reports from the state indicate that the intense rainfall has also washed away highways linking the northwest and northeastern parts of the country, as well as some federal and state roads and culverts across the state.

Findings by Tribune Online in the state revealed that three girls, aged between 12 and 15, drowned in a pond at Tulla village, while a father and his son lost their lives when a building collapsed on them at Madabe village, both in Buji Local Government Area.

Tribune Online also gathered that thousands of families in Auyo, Buji, Gwaram, Kafin Hausa, Malam Madori, Taura, and Hadejia Local Government Areas are affected, with hundreds of hectares of farmland flooded by overflowing rivers in these areas.

The flooding has severed the highway connecting northwest and northeast states at Malawan Babaldu village in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area, disrupting access to Gombe, Bauchi, Plateau, Adamawa, and Taraba states.

In a statement issued by ASC Badruddeen Tijjani Mahmud, the Public Relations Officer of the Jigawa State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), motorists travelling to Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara states were advised to seek alternative routes due to the disruption.

According to the PRO’s statement, “The major highway connecting Birnin Kudu to Malawa, Babaldu, and neighbouring states, including Gombe, Bauchi, Plateau, Adamawa, and Taraba, has been completely submerged and cut off by floodwaters, making travel difficult.”

ASC Badruddeen therefore advised motorists to use alternative routes to avoid the affected area.

Furthermore, one of the flood victims in Hadejia, the headquarters of Hadejia Local Government Area, named Barde Zakar, reported that the six-hour rainfall has left households homeless in four areas of Hadejia town.

According to him, “a heavy rainfall lasting over six hours destroyed more than 200 houses in Garko, Tudun Wada, Abuja Amare, and Kandahar in Hadejia Local Government Area.”

Malam Barde Zakar added, “The destruction was caused by the overflow of Garko Pond, which submerged the affected areas.”

Meanwhile, Alhaji Mustapha Sule Lamido, the gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election, has called on both state and federal governments to take proactive measures to relieve the victims and prevent future occurrences.

The PDP gubernatorial candidate made the call in a statement posted on his Facebook handle, expressing concern over the loss of lives, domestic property, and farm items caused by the flood in some local government areas of the state.

According to him, “We were shocked by reports of lives lost due to canoe capsizing, children drowning in ponds, and buildings collapsing, in addition to the unquantified wealth and farm products missing as a result of the recent flood.”

Alhaji Mustapha Sule Lamido added, “We extend our condolences to the families and relatives of those who lost their lives and sympathise with the victims who lost their houses, wealth, and farm products in Kalgwai, Nahuce, Bulangu, Gantsa, Yayari, Marita, Hadejia town, Madabe, and Gwadayi in Auyo, Taura, Kafin Hausa, Hadejia, and Buji Local Government Areas.”

“Given the annual occurrence of this disaster and the worsening of the situation, the problem in Jigawa State requires more than temporary measures and solutions. There is an urgent need for authorities to implement permanent environmental solutions to address floods and river flows to protect lives and property.”

Lamido further disclosed, “In 2022, I consulted experts and professionals from various sectors who provided advice on possible actions regarding environmental issues and Hadejia River flows during the rainy seasons. All the advice and solutions are included in our blueprint, which was presented during the 2023 campaign.”

“It is nothing wrong for the present administration to look into it and save our dear state from the problems in consideration with the focus by the National Metrological Agency (NiMet), which indicated there is flooding in this rainy seasons this year in some states, including Jigawa.”

He prays for the injured to recover quickly and for Almighty Allah’s intervention in addressing the present hardships in the state and the country.