No fewer than three people have reportedly been killed due to severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall in the Bauchi North senatorial district.
The rainfall, which persisted for three days, also resulted in the deaths of domestic animals and the destruction of valuable property worth millions of naira.
In response to the disaster, Bauchi state governor, Bala Mohammed, has established a high-level committee led by the Secretary to the state government, Ibrahim Kashim Mohammed, to assess the extent of the damage in the affected areas.
The committee’s visit included several key officials: the State Commissioner for Humanitarian and Disaster Management, Hajara Yakubu Wanka; the Commissioner for Housing and Environment, Rt. Hon. Danlami Ahmad Kawule; the Commissioner for Works, Hon. Ibrahim Gambo Galadima; the Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Yakubu Adamu; and the Director-General of SEMA, along with representatives from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
They visited Giade local government area to survey the damage, including the Giade-Shira section of the Federal Highway, which was completely washed away and rendered impassable.
The team also inspected the Giade-Azare State Road and the Azare-Jama’are portion of the Kano-Maiduguri Expressway, both of which were severely impacted by the floods.
On behalf of the Governor, the SSG expressed sympathy to the victims, assuring them that the government would provide relief to help mitigate the impact of their losses.
Addressing journalists in Giade LG, the Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mas’ud Aliyu disclosed that thousands of people have been displaced, with their homes and farmlands destroyed.
Aliyu confirmed the deaths of three people, adding that assessments are ongoing across the three affected LGAs.
The DG said the relief materials provided by the state government aim at easing the suffering of the victims, supplying them with essential items to help them survive the disaster.
The caretaker committee chairman of Giade LGA expressed gratitude to the governor for dispatching the delegation, noting that many communities and villages have been submerged by the flood.
