Tales of death

…As ravaging midnight flood sweeps away 23

From Billy Abel, Yola

No fewer than 23 people were confirmed dead while others were hospitalised following a flood that ravaged Yola, Adamawa State, penultimate Sunday. The midnight tragedy struck as residents were asleep, resulting in losses, tears and death.

Mary Adams, a middle-age resident of Yola South and direct victim of the devastation, could not halt her tears: “I lost my brothers, sisters and family members to the flood. I have not been in my right mind since the flood. It is utterly horrible.”

Joshua Sabar told Daily Sun: “I never knew a flood could get up to that level. The water entered rooms and brought out furniture from our homes and left with them.

“Other people may think it is a lie. But this is what I experienced in my house. The cushions and so many other items were swept away. The flood broke down fences and houses.

“I have a family of five and I thank God I did not lose anyone in my family. But we were really scared and could not sleep all through the night until morning.

“I have a neighbour who lost his daughter and another close to him lost three children. This is how bad the flood was, a very angry flood. I am also aware that the losses and bereavements in some communities like Shagari and Sabon Pegi were worse than ours.

“Since the flood, up till now, I have not received any support from anyone, government or private individual. I only hear that people are filling forms. We are being told to go to Aliyu Mustapha College to fill out forms.

“But I said to myself, we have to be organised and stop running to go and fill forms. If they really meant to help, they should come to our place and see for themselves the extent of the damage and devastation.”

Musa Danladi Shehu resides in Yola, off Ibunu Abbas. He described the night as “a nightmare of death.”

“The flood started at 4 a.m. Once we noticed the flood, we immediately started evacuating our siblings and our father out of the house. We totally had no idea how to get them out.

“The current was just too strong and it was too dangerous to go out. We broke the ceiling and carried our father, ill with a stroke. We took our female siblings into the ceiling because they are women.

“They may not have the strength to do that for themselves. We helped them to get up to the ceiling. That was where we all stayed until the flood subsided.

“We communicated with our people to know what was going on in the town. And whether it was safe to get down, because we were all scared. Our brother came down to check the level of the water. He noticed that the water had gone down.

“On our losses, I don’t know where to begin. But God will return whatever we have lost to the flood. We lost everything we kept outside. I mean everything that was not inside the house was gone, including our goats, chicken, plates and other things. So far, we have not received any support from the government or any organisation, apart from our relatives,” he said.

Habaye Kwatara told Daily Sun: “The rain started around 3 a.m. The water rushed into my residence uncontrollably. We had no idea of where to sit or stand. We had to turn the cushions on one side to stay afloat. We stayed like that till daybreak.

“We didn’t know what to do, we were terrified. Like my family, we almost lost lives. Our prayers were to get through that night safely. No one was thinking about food, clothes, but survival, as we watched the flood cart away our valuables.

“We are not engineers. But we learnt it was a result of the collapse of a dam constructed by some miners. The current was just too strong for this tragedy to be just rainfall.

“Since this experience, no one has reached out to us. The only thing I heard is that the governor and his aides are blaming us for inviting destruction unto ourselves. We were expecting some words of comfort and consolation.

“Instead, we got criticisms and condemnations. We are human beings. We should not be insulted and attacked in our moment of sadness by the same government we voted for.”

Meanwhile, a relief and post-recovery committee was recently constituted, chaired by the Deputy Governor, Kaletapwa Farauta. It was mandated to identify measures to bring succour to the affected communities and develop strategies for post-flood recovery.

Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who inaugurated the committee, remarked: “We are committed to providing relief and support to the affected communities as well as working towards sustainable solutions to mitigate future disasters.

“The committee should ensure fairness, transparency and diligence in its work, with the ultimate goal of bringing relief and hope to the affected communities.”

The governor also visited the affected communities. At the temporary displacement camp, Aliyu Mustafa College, he met with displaced families, expressed his grief, and reassured them of the government’s commitment to bring help and initiate a recovery process: “This is not a time for politics or finger-pointing. It’s a time for unity and action.”

He attributed the flood to a combination of intense rainfall and blocked water channels that prevented proper drainage of stormwater into the river: “Such structural deficiencies must be addressed, moving forward.”

Commissioner for Environment, Mohammad Sadiq, said: “The mining activity taking place is done in total compliance with the laws and regulations governing such activity and in line with best practices.

“Only the Federal Government has oversight over mining and the exploration of other natural resources like petroleum and gas. Our role at the state level is advisory and complementary. Based on all evidence before us, due process has been strictly followed.

“The dam is not responsible for the massive flooding in Yola South. The spillway created is designed to manage overflow efficiently, similar to the natural runoff from the Uki-Tuki hills.

“The flood was caused mainly by human encroachment. Many waterways have been obstructed by residential structures and refuse. During the administration of former Governor Murtala Nyako, substantial funds were allocated to compensate owners of buildings on waterways, and demolitions were carried out. Unfortunately, some speculators later resold the same lands and about 84 new houses were built on waterways illegally.

“We are currently reviewing the right-of-way across key locations and will require all filling stations to provide at least three meters for the construction of culverts and water channels.”