How flood killed 31, displaced 28,000 persons in Jigawa
The heavy floods destroyed farmlands, leaving families in dire need.
The flood that wreaked havoc in Jigawa State as a result of overflow of River Hadejia led to the death of 31 people while over 100 hectares of farmlands were washed away across 12 local government areas.
Over 28,000 people were displaced in many communities as farmlands located five kilometers away from both sides of the river banks have been destroyed while some were sacked by the increasing volume of water in the overflowing river.
The deaths recorded in Ringim, Taura, Jahun, Miga, Auyo and Birnin Kudu local government areas were largely as a result drowning, canoe mishaps and building collapse.
However, the magnitude of the disaster was brought under control following the timely intervention by the affected councils and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), by supplying sand bags to block the embankments.
The state government had to order for canoes in which 20 have been distributed to communities that found themselves encircled by the water.
The flooding was further caused as overflow of Challawa and Tiga dams in Kano which feed the River Hadejia that passes through 14 local government areas of Jigawa State.
The flooding forced most residents of Auyo to relocate.
A visit to the IDPs in Dakaiyawa Primary School and in an old building that was once used by British Engineering Company (BEC) in Kaugama and Auyo local governments indicate the victims are mostly women and children.
Speaking to Daily Trust on Sunday in the BEC camp, Maryam Ahmed Kahmisu, said she had to relocate because of safety. She said though the camp was not established by government victims are provided with food.
According to her, in the morning a loaf of bread and some quantity of garri, sugar and groundnut cake were distributed.
However, Maryam lamented over the poor hygiene of the place, saying there is no toilet as well as safe drinking water.
Many of the victims applauded government’s efforts at providing some succour but pleaded with the authority to come to their aid by giving them assistance in order to start rebuilding their lives.
Dabi in Ringim Local Government is one of the worse hit at the early stage of the flood where six persons were reported dead with three in a canoe mishap and the others in building collapse. The canoe victims were returning to Maramawa from Algama.
The flood destroyed mainly of rice, soghurm, maize, millet, tomatoes and garden egg farmlands in Dabi and other villages in Ringim local government areas. The council chairman, Abdulrashid Illa Ibrahim, lamented that the areas affected were the most fertile part of the council and had grossly affected the seasonal agricultural yield by a larger proportion.
According to him, many farmlands were destroyed as most cash crops were completely washed away, whereas in the case of cereal it is only the millet which is near harvest that could be saved.
Although many farmers that were affected are expected to return once the flood subsides many will not be able to till the soil again because they may not have the resources for re-cropping.
Speaking to Daily Trust on Sunday, the chairman of Ringim Local Government chapter of All Farmers Association of Nigerians (AFAN) said in Dabi alone, over 5,000 farmlands belonging to over 500 farmers were washed away, explaining that the destruction has damaged about 90 percent of what was being expected to be produced this year’s farming season.
Also speaking, the chairman of tomatoes and garden egg farmers in Kaura, Ahmadu Markalle, said over 100 hectares of tomatoes and garden egg were destroyed, adding that the farms were washed away in such a manner as they had never existed in the area.
He lamented that unless there was an intervention with either farm inputs or cash relief that will enable farmers to go back to farms, many will be out of business this year.
“About 80 percent of tomatoes and garden egg production is affected. This suggested that there will be acute shortage of the commodities this year. About 100 hectares of tomatoes and garden eggs farms have been washed away while about 90 farmers lost their farmlands in Kaura,” he said.
The Executive Secretary of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Yusuf Sani Babura, who confirmed the number of deaths and the 501 communities affected by the flood said, the devastation was enormous as over 100,000 hectares of farmlands were destroyed.
“For now we have provided an immediate assistance to the victims by supplying 3,000 bags of garri, 100 bags each of sugar and groundnut cake. We are giving these because it is a fast food. When we overcome the situation at hand we will come with more support of other food items.
“There are 28,361 people displaced persons from 501 communities. Most of the displaced are in the seven camps. In Auyo alone, there are five camps while in Kaugama and Mallam Madari local governments there is one each. A hand pump borehole was drilled in each of the camp. Health workers have been deployed as well as sufficient drugs in each of the camp. We also made toilet provisions,” he said.