IT came like a thief in the night, unannounced. And, unlike the usual heavy rainfall it was not preceded by wind storms; yet giving no clue of its looming presence it was devastating in its destructive impact.
With no sign of any impending rainfall, residents and farmers in Ungwan Malikawa, Ajingi Local Government of Kano State, went about with their normal chores on that fateful Wednesday evening.
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 persons who lost his four-year-old daughter, Dayyabu Abdullahi, from Ungwan Malikawa told Arewa Voice 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.
“The incident happened on Wednesday evening. There was no wind. It was heavy rain that lasted for over 40 hours,” he explained.
The memory of the downpour will continue to linger in the minds of residents of Ajingi Local Government Area of Kano State.
Reports said 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, mobilised 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 mobilised 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, cautioned.
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. (Vanguard)
