Dozens of angry flood victims attacked the Jigawa State government flood assessment team and damaged their vehicles at Ganuwar Kuka in Hadejia, Hadejia Local Government Area in Jigawa State.
The flood victims descended on a special adviser to Governor Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa and officials of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) immediately they arrived in the area.
The Special Adviser to the governor on Community Development and Social Inclusion, Alhaji Hamza Mohammed Hadejia led an assessment team with journalists on the present flood disaster were nearly killed when a mob of angry youths attack them while visiting the area.
Confirming the incident, Alhaji Hadejia said, “It was trouble and unfortunate and it was God Almighty save us.”
Alhaji Hadejia added that if not the intervention of some elders in the area the story could be a different one.
He explained that “they pushed me inside a house and locked me in. From there, I crossed over about five houses and escaped. I thank God for His protection. I only ended up with minor injuries.”
An eye witness said the angry residents attacked them with sticks, matchets and other dangerous weapons to register their anger against the state government over alleged lacklustre attitude towards the flood that is currently affecting eight local government areas under Hadejia emirate.
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Trouble started when the special adviser was conducting both teams of SEMA and the media to see for themselves the extent of damages in Ganuwar Kuka area by the rampaging flood.
The angry youth began their protest, alleging that there was a conspiracy among the teams to secure grants from the Federal Government and other donors which would never get to the people.
They chased the adviser to the governor who took refuge under a bed in one of the houses after several attempts to shake-off the rampaging angry youths who were pursuing any official they saw around the affected areas.
As the adviser who is also from the area was not spared, it took the intervention of the police that were mobilised to the area and fired several bullets into the air to disperse the angry youths before he could be rescued.
The youths claimed that they had not seen the impact of past efforts of the media and SEMA that are being mobilised every year when there is a flood of such magnitude.
They also accused the teams of making money for themselves over the predicament of the people, a development they said would no longer be tolerated.
Hadejia town has been under intense siege by the flood where houses, farmlands, graveyards, were completely washed away by the flood.
Hadejia residents especially women and children have been forced to take refuge in fuel stations and unoccupied buildings.