Residents of Angwan Hausawa in Mokwa, the community ravaged by floods in Niger State, continue to recount their losses following the recent floods that wreaked havoc on the entire community, killings hundreds of people while several hundreds are still missing.
BusinessDay reports that many victims lost not only their homes and possessions but also loved ones, including spouses, parents, children, and relatives in the disaster.
Speaking to our Correspondent, Sikirat Shehu, who was at the scenes of the incident, Usman Jibril recounted the scale of the destruction, saying; “the flood swept away everything houses, refrigerators, cars, motorcycles, and even people. We lost lives, shelter, money, and property.
“This is beyond what poor people like us can endure. In my house alone, we lost about N3.5 million. Our neighbor, who was preparing to go to the market on Friday, lost over N2 million.
“If we had that money, we could start rebuilding our lives. But now, we have no capital and no idea where to begin. Even our credentials and documents were washed away. The government needs to come to our aid. We need emergency relief, especially since the rainy season has only just begun anything can still happen. In over 70 years, we’ve never experienced anything like this in Mokwa. We don’t even understand the cause. We are now forced to sleep outside, surrounded by mosquitoes.”
Read also: Mokwa floods: FG donated N2bn, 20 trucks of grains, to rebuild community
Another resident, Abdullahi Sheu, shared his painful experience:
“I am left with only the clothes I’m wearing. We have no food, and our children are going hungry. I lost my vehicle, and my brother also lost his car. Worst of all, I lost nine members of my family. I’ve recovered three bodies; six are still missing.”
In her account, Bilikisu Likita said tearfully, “I lost two of my children, three bags of rice, and all my money.”
Issah Sulaiman, a community leader, described the situation as catastrophic, adding: “This is a terrible incident. We are pleading with the federal government to come to our aid. We have no place to sleep and have been forced to stay outdoors. This emergency caught us completely off guard.
“To be clear, we have not seen any representatives from the federal government. We heard that the President sent a minister, but up till now, no one has shown up. Any support meant for us should be delivered through the proper channels.”
Meanwhile, officials from UNICEF have begun providing free medical care to affected residents, just as the Niger State Government has also started distributing food supplies to the victims, in addition to funds and relief materials which the Federal Government set aside for distribution in the flood-ravaged areas.
Musa Alhaji Aliyu, Chairman of the Local Government, while speaking to Sikirat Shehu on phone, said “The Government is actively responding, especially regarding food and shelter. These are our top priorities right now. We have started distribution to the victims. This is a tragic and unfortunate event, and we pray that such a disaster never occurs again”.
