The Kano State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) announced that heavy rainfall has killed numerous people and displaced 495 families in Ungwan Malikawa, Ajingi Local Government of Kano State.
A source revealed that the incident happened on Wednesday evening, August 10, as the heavy rain lasted for over 40 hours, The Vanguard reports.
“It appeared out of nowhere, like a thief in the night. Aside from the fact that it didn’t come with wind storms like usual, which would have given us a hint of its impending arrival, it was also much more destructive than normal,” the source said.
“On that fateful Wednesday evening, villagers and farmers in Ungwan Malikawa, Ajingi Local Government of Kano State, went about their regular duties with no indication of any forthcoming rain.
“But suddenly the merciless rainfall descended from the skies with brutality and bombarded anything on sight with fury. And, with torrential impunity, it pounded the earth for what seemed like ‘eternity’, blasting the ground for over 40 hours, that is for almost two days without a break.
“With its intensity and prolonged assault, the people of Toranke, Kara Malama, Chuna and Balare in Ajingi LGA lost some of their loved ones, farmlands, crops, agricultural produce and residential and public property in one fell swoop. It is a development that has left the affected communities with nothing but tales of woes.
“When the dust settled, no fewer than three persons, including a four-year-old girl, were confirmed dead, while 495 houses were reportedly damaged in the process.”
One of the residents who lost his four-year-old daughter, Dayyabu Abdullahi, from Ungwan Malikawa said that he has been left shattered by the news of his child’s death. The child died after a two-room building fell on her.
But the grieving father said he had handed over everything that happened to him to God.
He said: “God has destined this to happen. Two rooms fell on my daughter and she died instantly,” he said.
The memory of the rainfall will continue to linger in the minds of residents of Ajingi Local Government Area of Kano State.
It was learnt that the torrential rainfall also left one person sustaining injury and 495 houses destroyed.
Troubled by the sad incident, the Executive Secretary, Kano State Emergency Management, SEMA, Dr. Saleh Jili, mobilized his officials and men to give a helping hand to the families of those who lost some of their loved ones and to provide some succour to the affected persons.
The agency immediately mobilized some relief materials to cushion the impact of the disaster on the victims by supplying them with food, medication and clothing items.
Jili, who spoke during a condolence visit to the victims at Ajingi, on behalf of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, to commiserate with the victims, on behalf of the state government under the leadership of governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, however, pleaded with residents living close to river banks and dams in the state, to relocate with immediate effect.
He said such persons should report to his office without any delay for possible intervention.
“We advise the people to always clear their drainage channels for free flow of water and where they do not have drainage channels, they should construct it,” the emergency agency chief executive warned.
The Vice Chairman, Ajingi Local Government, Alhaji Sa’ad Ibrahim-Toranke, commended the state government and agency for their prompt response to the challenge, which took the residents by surprise.
Ibrahim-Toranke said: “We experienced flood disaster, which resulted in the death of three people while 500 persons were displaced from their homes and many others injured in their rush to escape from the disaster. Almost all the wards in Ajingi LGA were affected by the flooding.
“There is nothing we are going to say than to thank government and the agency for the gesture,” Ibrahim-Toranke said.
