The Jigawa State Emergency and Management Agency (SEMA) has confirmed the deaths of 16 people in flood incidents in approximately 10 local government areas of the state.
Dr. Haruna Mairiga, the executive secretary of the agency, made the confirmation while addressing the media in Dutse.
Over 3,834 families have been rendered homeless and 2,744 hectares of land have been washed away by the flood.
Dr. Haruna Mairiga revealed that the state government has established Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in primary schools in all 10 affected local government areas.
He noted that the flooding has come as a surprise, even though NiMET and NEMA had predicted the occurrence of the disaster, stating “it started earlier than predicted.”
The affected local governments include Buji, Kafin Hausa, Auyo, Hadejia, Birniwa, Gwaram, Malam Madori, Garki, Taura, Suletankarkar, Kaugama, and Dutse. Some of the victims are staying with their relatives.
The government has taken immediate action by dispatching personnel to assess the levels of damage and distributing relief materials to the victims. Dr. Mairiga added that despite it being early in the rainy season, the government is making concerted efforts to assist the affected victims.
The agency has distributed relief materials to the affected victims, including 400 bags of rice, 400 cartons of spaghetti, maize, mosquito nets, and sacks for embankment, among other items.
Additionally, the government has set up an emergency committee, making it the first state government to establish such a committee.
“The governor Malam Umar Namadi led administration equipped us with all necessary materials and logistics. We have enough relief materials for onward distribution to the affected victims despite the fact, some of our warehouses had been vandalised and looted by irate mobs during the nationwide protest held early this month”.
He commended the state governor for his timely intervention to assist the affected victims across the state.
