Six dead, thousands displaced as flood ravages Adamawa communities

Jigawa’s death toll rises to 33, minister donates N20m to victims

Six persons have been confirmed dead, with 10,246 others displaced, as perennial flood at weekend wreaked havoc on some communities in Madagali council area of Adamawa State.

 
The heavy downpour, which lasted for several hours, flooded about 11 communities in the council. Head of Operations, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the state, Ayuba Ladan, who disclosed this while conducting an on-the-spot assessment of the affected communities, added that more than 10 people sustained injuries.
  
According to Ladan, communities worst hit by the disaster include Kirchinga, Duhu, Maiwandu, Jahili, Kokohu, Lumadu, Zhau, Palam, Kwambula, Shuware and Shuwa. He said the council, in collaboration with the Nigerian Red Cross, had established about eight Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps to provide succor to the victims.
  
The catastrophe affected 1,711 households, while houses, shops, boreholes, and many valuables were completely destroyed, 1,000 hectares of land were submerged.
 
 The downpour, which was said to come from the Mandara Mountain of the council area, also destroyed houses, foodstuff, farmlands and bridges connecting Borno and Adamawa states.
 
Adamawa State Deputy Governor, Prof Kaletapwa Farauta, who visited the scene, called on the Federal Government to quickly send aid to the affected communities.
 
“The colossal damage is too much, as 11 communities were affected by the flood”. I’m appealing to the Federal Government and humanitarian donors to come to support the victims of the Madagali flood,” she said.

MEANWHILE, the death toll from the recent flood in Jigawa State has risen to 33, Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has confirmed. Releasing the figure at the weekend, Abubakar, a former state governor, commiserated with the state government over the disaster, as well as families, who have lost their loved ones to the flood.
  
He said the disaster affected 148 communities in 14 local council areas, about 50,000 people and over 11,500 households. “Over 148 communities were affected,” he said, adding:  “7,500 households were affected, over 50, 000 people were affected and about 11,500 farmlands were also affected, while we lost 33 indigenes of the state as a result of this affliction.”
 
He spoke after donating N20 million to the victims during a visit to Governor Umar Namadi in Dutse. The governor thanked the minister for the trip, saying: “I am sure so many people in Abuja are also sympathising with you. This situation is for all of us.”