By Sule Aliyu Bauçhi
The Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency (BASEMA) says no fewer than 100 houses and several farmlands have been destroyed by devastating floods in Kirfi Local Government Area of the state.
The Coordinator of the agency, Dr. Abubakar Umar Gabarin told Krestnews at the weekend in Bauchi that the flooding was caused by persistent rainfall in the area.
He expressed concern on the level of destruction of houses and farmlands in the local government.
“We have received a report that the flood destroyed many households with over 100 houses damaged.”
He said the management has already visited the affected area and carried out an assessment on the level of damage caused by the flood and would write a report for possible intervention.
Gabarin said the team of experts who are engineers from Ministries of Water Resources, Works, Lands and Survey, SEMA officials and North-East Development Commission will also visit the area with a view to assess the problem and provide a lasting solution.
He said there was no reported case of death, injury or case of missing persons during the flooding.
He said from the report available, the flood came from outside the town probably, the experts may divert the way the route the water used to follow to enter the town.
The Acting Chairman of Kirfi Local Government Area, Alhaji Bala Muhammed Duguri, confirmed the incidents to reporters in Bauchi.
He, however, said no life was lost in the disaster, but the problem is a threat to Cheledi and Kirfi communities and urged the victims to take it as an act of God
Duguri, who is also the head of administration in the local government, appealed to state, federal governments to come to the aid of the affected communities because many of them are in most difficult situations with no food, no clothes and no shelter.
He said many went to their relatives’ houses while others stay temporary in primary schools.
Some residents of Kirfi urged the government to relocate them from the area because the flood occurred annually for the last five years