by Kingseyi Sun Jul 22, 2018 5:30 amIt was a black Monday for residents of Jibia
local government area of Katsina State as they
experienced a downpour that lasted several
hours and resulting in flood which claimed 53
lives and destroyed over 500 houses.
260 livestock were also dead and farmlands
destroyed. Those who died were mostly children
and women. Some were washed away by flood
while others died as a result of collapsed
buildings. The flood also washed away vehicles.
There was great mourning as sympathisers
trooped into the area to commiserate with
victims.
Some of the victims recounted their losses and
narrated their ordeal to Sunday Vanguard. Sani
Yahaya is a resident of Dan Tudu Sabuwar (new
settlement) who got married to his wife, Hindatu
Sani, 22, also known as Ummi, some six
months ago.
According to him, Ummi died in the flood that
also demolished part of their house while he
was away on business trip.
Narrating his story, Sani said his wife’s last
phone call to him was when the flood had
submerged the house and she told him the
water had got to her neck and was about taking
her away. Shortly after, he lamented, her mobile
phone went dead.
“I buy and sell second hand clothes. We go to
Shinkafi in Zamfara every Wednesday to buy
clothes and transport them, together with my
boss, Awwalu, to the southern part of the
country to sell”, the bereaved husband said.
“On the fateful day, she called to notify me that
she was feeling discomfort in the house and I
told her not to panic but pray that everything
will be alright. Later that night, she called me
three times but I was asleep. I called her back
when I woke up and she told me that she was
scared, that everywhere was flooded by a
downpour and that I should help her call for
rescue. All those I called, including my younger
brother, to go and rescue her told me the water
had taken over the road and there was nowhere
to get to my house.
“Shortly thereafter, she called to tell me that the
water had reached her neck and was about to
sweep her away. Her mobile phone then went
dead.
“I cherished a lot of things about her. She was
cool headed, obedient, respectful and of good
character. We married about six months and 10
days before this incident separated us.
“My parents and other members of our family
survived the flood. They are currently taking
refuge in the Internally Displaced Persons, IDP,
camp”.
I couldn’t rescue my brother’s wife – Younger
brother
Ibrahim Officer, Sani’s younger brother, who
was living houses away from his elder brother’s
house, said he attempted to go and rescue
Ummi but there was no road to get to the house
as the flood had taken over everywhere.
Officer however said, “I rescued our parents and
my family”.
“He (my elder brother) told me on phone to go
and rescue his wife, that she called him around
2am to say flood water had reached her neck
and about to claim her life…and that I should
send somebody from my house to rescue her.
“I was on my way when I found that the flood
water was already touching my neck and head. I
turned back as I couldn’t proceed. I called my
brother to tell him that I couldn’t get to the
house. That was when he told me that he was
calling her phone but it was no longer going
through.
“The water took her away. I went to Niger
Republic, precisely Amada Runka, in search of
her corpse. We saw the corpses of several
persons washed away by the flood scattered in
between stones but we couldn’t find her corpse.
Later they called me that they found her corpse
in a town called Contini close to Maradi. I wept”.
My 20 months’ old son snatched from my hand
by rushing water – Mother
Another victim, Amina, resident in Mai Kwari,
said the flood snatched from her hand her 20
months’ old son.
According to her, the baby boy was nowhere to
be found.
“I noticed some sound coming from outside my
house when the rain was falling. So I rushed out
to observe it”, she narrated.
“I was holding my son and my daughter,
Najahatu, was in my other hand when the flood
dragged me. We fell down and the water took
him away. The flood was much. Up till this
moment, we are yet to find him.
“My daughter and I narrowly escaped death”.
We cheated death – Ali, 60
Sayyadi Ali, who was met in front of his one-
room apartment, was re-arranging properties
recovered from the flood.
He narrated how his grandchildren and elder
sister who were visiting him and himself
escaped death.
“I had to put my grandchildren on a tree to
escape. I carried my elder sister on my shoulder
to assist her climb the fence of our neighbours
because everywhere had been flooded. The flood
reduced when the fence leading to the entrance
of the house collapsed because the water was
trapped in the house and not moving”, Ali said
“See the level of water on the wall. If not for the
fact that we hurriedly took that step, we
wouldn’t have survived because the water would
have submerged us. Look at my height, I am
short and see the level the water got to, almost
up to the door level”.
My 12-year-old daughter died in an attempt to
recover luggage – Isiyaku
Isiyaku Ngogo, a resident of Tudun Turaki, one
of the areas worst affected by the flood, said he
lost his 12-year-old daughter, Muhusina
Ibrahim, in the disaster.
He said his nine other children, however,
escaped death. “Initially, we all escaped but my
12-year-old daughter, Muhusina Ibrahim, went
back to pack some of our luggage and died in
the process. “This is not the first time we
experienced this kind of flooding. Some 15
years ago, we experienced similar disaster
where six people died.
“Why we can’t relocate from the area is because
we can’t afford land in other areas and so we
have to live here. But if the government is ready
to relocate us, we are ready to relocate”.
We came out alive but couldn’t rescue even a
needle – Mother of nine
A mother of nine children, Aisha Bishir, said
their family house collapsed as a result of the
flood and they couldn’t rescue even a needle.
“Our house collapsed. We, however, thank God
that we didn’t lose any family member but some
of our neighbours lost their lives and
properties,” Aisha said.
When Sunday Vanguard visited the affected
areas, officials of Katsina State Environmental
Protection Agency, SEPA, were seen fumigating
the areas.
Team leader, Nura Abubakar Kankia, said the
fumigation was to be carried out in the entire
Jibia local government area.
“We are doing the fumigation because of
offensive odours and because the water now
breeds mosquito among other pests. In fact, the
measure is to prevent the outbreak of cholera,
etc.
“We urge residents to be conscious of
cleanliness of their environment. They should
desist from throwing refuse on water ways,”
Kankia said.
At the makeshift camp for the IDPs located at
the Muhammadu Rabiu Model Primary School
Complex, Jibia, several victims of the flood
tragedy were seen trooping to see doctors in a
clinic provided there.
Officer in charge, Zuladaini Lawal, said majority
of those he attended to complained of fever,
diarrhea and vomiting.
A representative of the National Emergency
Management Agency, NEMA, Zakari Abubakar,
said they were still profiling the IDPs to
ascertain their number and then set up an
organized camp.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary, Katsina
State Emergency Management Authority, SEMA,
Dr. Aminu G. Waziri, said relief materials had
continued to come in for the displaced persons.
Waziri said international donor agencies were
also planning to intervene.
Communities badly affected include Kwata, Dan
Tudu Sabuwar, Turaki, Tukare, Tsohuwar Tukare
and Ungwar Mai Kwari.
local government area of Katsina State as they
experienced a downpour that lasted several
hours and resulting in flood which claimed 53
lives and destroyed over 500 houses.
260 livestock were also dead and farmlands
destroyed. Those who died were mostly children
and women. Some were washed away by flood
while others died as a result of collapsed
buildings. The flood also washed away vehicles.
There was great mourning as sympathisers
trooped into the area to commiserate with
victims.
Some of the victims recounted their losses and
narrated their ordeal to Sunday Vanguard. Sani
Yahaya is a resident of Dan Tudu Sabuwar (new
settlement) who got married to his wife, Hindatu
Sani, 22, also known as Ummi, some six
months ago.
According to him, Ummi died in the flood that
also demolished part of their house while he
was away on business trip.
Narrating his story, Sani said his wife’s last
phone call to him was when the flood had
submerged the house and she told him the
water had got to her neck and was about taking
her away. Shortly after, he lamented, her mobile
phone went dead.
“I buy and sell second hand clothes. We go to
Shinkafi in Zamfara every Wednesday to buy
clothes and transport them, together with my
boss, Awwalu, to the southern part of the
country to sell”, the bereaved husband said.
“On the fateful day, she called to notify me that
she was feeling discomfort in the house and I
told her not to panic but pray that everything
will be alright. Later that night, she called me
three times but I was asleep. I called her back
when I woke up and she told me that she was
scared, that everywhere was flooded by a
downpour and that I should help her call for
rescue. All those I called, including my younger
brother, to go and rescue her told me the water
had taken over the road and there was nowhere
to get to my house.
“Shortly thereafter, she called to tell me that the
water had reached her neck and was about to
sweep her away. Her mobile phone then went
dead.
“I cherished a lot of things about her. She was
cool headed, obedient, respectful and of good
character. We married about six months and 10
days before this incident separated us.
“My parents and other members of our family
survived the flood. They are currently taking
refuge in the Internally Displaced Persons, IDP,
camp”.
I couldn’t rescue my brother’s wife – Younger
brother
Ibrahim Officer, Sani’s younger brother, who
was living houses away from his elder brother’s
house, said he attempted to go and rescue
Ummi but there was no road to get to the house
as the flood had taken over everywhere.
Officer however said, “I rescued our parents and
my family”.
“He (my elder brother) told me on phone to go
and rescue his wife, that she called him around
2am to say flood water had reached her neck
and about to claim her life…and that I should
send somebody from my house to rescue her.
“I was on my way when I found that the flood
water was already touching my neck and head. I
turned back as I couldn’t proceed. I called my
brother to tell him that I couldn’t get to the
house. That was when he told me that he was
calling her phone but it was no longer going
through.
“The water took her away. I went to Niger
Republic, precisely Amada Runka, in search of
her corpse. We saw the corpses of several
persons washed away by the flood scattered in
between stones but we couldn’t find her corpse.
Later they called me that they found her corpse
in a town called Contini close to Maradi. I wept”.
My 20 months’ old son snatched from my hand
by rushing water – Mother
Another victim, Amina, resident in Mai Kwari,
said the flood snatched from her hand her 20
months’ old son.
According to her, the baby boy was nowhere to
be found.
“I noticed some sound coming from outside my
house when the rain was falling. So I rushed out
to observe it”, she narrated.
“I was holding my son and my daughter,
Najahatu, was in my other hand when the flood
dragged me. We fell down and the water took
him away. The flood was much. Up till this
moment, we are yet to find him.
“My daughter and I narrowly escaped death”.
We cheated death – Ali, 60
Sayyadi Ali, who was met in front of his one-
room apartment, was re-arranging properties
recovered from the flood.
He narrated how his grandchildren and elder
sister who were visiting him and himself
escaped death.
“I had to put my grandchildren on a tree to
escape. I carried my elder sister on my shoulder
to assist her climb the fence of our neighbours
because everywhere had been flooded. The flood
reduced when the fence leading to the entrance
of the house collapsed because the water was
trapped in the house and not moving”, Ali said
“See the level of water on the wall. If not for the
fact that we hurriedly took that step, we
wouldn’t have survived because the water would
have submerged us. Look at my height, I am
short and see the level the water got to, almost
up to the door level”.
My 12-year-old daughter died in an attempt to
recover luggage – Isiyaku
Isiyaku Ngogo, a resident of Tudun Turaki, one
of the areas worst affected by the flood, said he
lost his 12-year-old daughter, Muhusina
Ibrahim, in the disaster.
He said his nine other children, however,
escaped death. “Initially, we all escaped but my
12-year-old daughter, Muhusina Ibrahim, went
back to pack some of our luggage and died in
the process. “This is not the first time we
experienced this kind of flooding. Some 15
years ago, we experienced similar disaster
where six people died.
“Why we can’t relocate from the area is because
we can’t afford land in other areas and so we
have to live here. But if the government is ready
to relocate us, we are ready to relocate”.
We came out alive but couldn’t rescue even a
needle – Mother of nine
A mother of nine children, Aisha Bishir, said
their family house collapsed as a result of the
flood and they couldn’t rescue even a needle.
“Our house collapsed. We, however, thank God
that we didn’t lose any family member but some
of our neighbours lost their lives and
properties,” Aisha said.
When Sunday Vanguard visited the affected
areas, officials of Katsina State Environmental
Protection Agency, SEPA, were seen fumigating
the areas.
Team leader, Nura Abubakar Kankia, said the
fumigation was to be carried out in the entire
Jibia local government area.
“We are doing the fumigation because of
offensive odours and because the water now
breeds mosquito among other pests. In fact, the
measure is to prevent the outbreak of cholera,
etc.
“We urge residents to be conscious of
cleanliness of their environment. They should
desist from throwing refuse on water ways,”
Kankia said.
At the makeshift camp for the IDPs located at
the Muhammadu Rabiu Model Primary School
Complex, Jibia, several victims of the flood
tragedy were seen trooping to see doctors in a
clinic provided there.
Officer in charge, Zuladaini Lawal, said majority
of those he attended to complained of fever,
diarrhea and vomiting.
A representative of the National Emergency
Management Agency, NEMA, Zakari Abubakar,
said they were still profiling the IDPs to
ascertain their number and then set up an
organized camp.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary, Katsina
State Emergency Management Authority, SEMA,
Dr. Aminu G. Waziri, said relief materials had
continued to come in for the displaced persons.
Waziri said international donor agencies were
also planning to intervene.
Communities badly affected include Kwata, Dan
Tudu Sabuwar, Turaki, Tukare, Tsohuwar Tukare
and Ungwar Mai Kwari.
