How 70 died, 897 villages suffered in 17 Jigawa local governments

As communities across the nation suffer extreme weather conditions, the burden on Jigawa State is heavy as the flood has devastated 897 villages in 17 out of 27 local government areas. Adamu Amadu reports that in addition to the burden of flooding, the state also suffers from other challenges including open defecation in IDP camps and relief agencies running on credit.

That Jigawa state is facing hard times due to flooding is no more news as the state government already confirmed that about 897 villages were affected in 17 out of 27 local government areas.

The state government gave the confirmation through the Commissioner for Special Duties, Alhaji Auwal Danladi Sankara, who said the annual flooding affected over 27,000 hectares of farm land in the affected areas.

He said, “the state government has set up a powerful committee to assess the damage done by the flood and the victims,” expressing government’s sympathy to the victims whom he assured government is taking measures to remediate their hardships.

It was gathered that since early August, constant heavy rainfall in the state has caused heavy flooding which has ravaged the community and taken about 70 lives in addition to destroying houses and domestic products massively.

According to the executive secretary, Jigawa State Emergency Relief Management Agency (SEMA), Alhaji Yusif Sani Babura, 60 people were confirmed dead across the state as at August 30, due to flooding disaster.

The executive secretary added that “between the second and third week of last month (August) 50 people died, six also lost their lives the following in making 56 people.” He added that on August 30, the agency unofficially received a report that a local canoe capsized and four people died, though it is yet to receive the report officially while on September 5, a statement by the Jigawa state police and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps commands confirmed the death of eight people; five adults and three young girls between the ages of six and 10.

According to him, the agency had so far opened about 20 Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps in the state with thousands of people.

“I cannot give the specific number of the displaced persons in the camps as every day, they are increasing. As you can see, heavy rain is falling and the disaster is increasing.”

He explained that the agency has 11 Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps in Jigawa northeast (Hadejia area) two in Miga, one in Kiyawa, two in Dutse and one in Birninkudu local government areas (Jigawa Southwest).

Sani Babura maintained that thousand of hectres of farm land is taken over by flood and the farm products had been destroyed, adding that the agency’s personnel were dispatched to take record and assess the people that died and level of damage to domestic and farm produce for proper documentation.

Report from the state indicated that the officials of the agency (SEMA) have visited the flood victims in their temporary camps and the recent place visited is Karnaya Junior secondary school, an uncompleted filling station around the area in Dutse local government area.

SEMA officials, led by the executive secretary, Alhaji Yusuf Sani, sympathized with the victims over the disaster that took over their houses and farmlands, leading to loss of properties worth millions of naira.

Alhaji Sani assured the victims that the agency would assess the extent of damage in their respective towns and villages as well as their farmlands, report to the state and Federal Government and ask for assistance.

He however added that his agency is running  its operations on credit as the situation is an emergency which cannot wait for long processes before reaching out to victims. He maintained that all the action and financial commitment of the agency is running on credit because, “the state government is yet to release funds but we have no doubt that the government will settle it when we make submissions.”

Meanwhile, most of the victims in the IPD camps complain of neglect by the authorities and their elected and political appointees at all levels, condemning them for not showing concern or rendering support to cushion their hardship.

They expressed dismay that since the occurrence of massive floods weeks ago, “none of our governor, Alhaji Badaru Abubakar, representatives, senators and other political appointees visited us, or offered assistance of foodstuffs or provision of hygienic shelter, leaving us dying in starvation, hunger and diseases.”

At Karnaya IDP camp in Dutse local government, one of the victims, Ubalele Maigida, expressed concern on what he termed the nonchalance being displayed by political appointees and elective officers.

Maigida, who said he has three wives and 16 children and lost his seven-room building to the flood, lamented that “none of the people in government showed up even to say ‘sorry’; they were nowhere.

A visit to the IDP camp revealed that there was no convenience and the inmates, both male and female; adults and children, engage in open defecation and had no potable water or medical facilities, making the likelihood of communicable diseases outbreak high in most of the IDP camps.

Aside from the loss of lives and the challenge of damage to residential houses, destruction of domestic material and farm products and being displaced, the disaster also destroyed roads and washed away a number of culverts and bridges on state and federal roads.

The roads most affected are Birninkudu, Buji and Gwaram to Dutse the state capital. Also affected are the federal roads to Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe to Taraba and Adamawa States where two major bridges and a number of culverts were damaged.

The road that links Governor Badaru’s home in his local government area of Babura to the state capital and many other parts were not exempted from destruction by the flood. These, in addition to other state roads in Ringim, Garki, Babura, Kazaure Gwiwa Roni and Yankwashi local government areas, were also badly affected.

According to reports, the disaster is happening while Governor Badaru is out of the state as he had been away from the state for four weeks shuttling between Kano to Abuja and Lagos for 2023 general elections plans and strategy leaving his deputy, Alhaji Umar Namadi Danmodi, who is acting to face the situation.

The deputy governor had been moving from one village to another and from one local government area to another on condolence visits to families of the deceased and other victims.

However, despite the presence of the deputy governor, the people still think that enough is not being done by government as what they have seen so far is only condolence visits.

However on his visit to Jahun local government, Danmodi directed the chairman of Jahun local government council, Alhaji Ado Mai Unguwar Aujara to compile the list of people affected by the disaster in the area for necessary action when he paid a sympathy visit to the District head of Jahun, Alhaji Balarabe Ahmad in his palace.

The deputy governor said the state government was concerned over the mass loss of houses, farm lands as well as loss of lives as a result of the flood disaster.

The District Head of Jahun, Alhaji Balarave Ahmad commended the state government for taking necessary measures to provide relief to the flood victims while the council chairman, Alhaji Ado Mai Unguwa re-affirmed the council`s commitment to assist the victims and alleviate their sufferings.

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