By Deborah Nnamdi
No fewer than seven people have lost their lives, while more than 5,400 residents have been affected after devastating windstorms swept through 120 communities across 13 local government areas of Jigawa State.
The Executive Secretary of the Jigawa State Emergency Relief Management Agency, Hannafi Yakubu, disclosed this during a media briefing in Dutse, describing the windstorms as the most severe disaster currently confronting the state.
Yakubu said the storms struck shortly after the onset of the rainy season, causing widespread destruction to homes and critical public infrastructure.
According to him, the disaster claimed seven lives and affected more than 5,400 people across the impacted communities.
He said about 50 schools and healthcare facilities, as well as two police stations, sustained varying degrees of damage, adding that the destruction had placed significant pressure on emergency response efforts.
Although the state has yet to experience widespread flooding, Yakubu noted that the windstorms alone had caused extensive damage in several local government areas.
He said the agency was working closely with the National Emergency Management Agency to assess the extent of the destruction and coordinate relief operations for affected communities.
Appealing for support, Yakubu described disaster management as a collective responsibility and called on the Federal Government, local governments, humanitarian organisations, development partners, corporate organisations, and individuals to assist victims of the disaster.
He also revealed that the Jigawa State Government had approved more than N800 million for emergency preparedness ahead of the rainy season, with relief materials already being procured and stockpiled to enable rapid response to emergencies.
The affected local government areas are Dutse, Gwaram, Birnin Kudu, Kiyawa, Babura, Gumel, Kaugama, Ringim, Gagarawa, Kirikasamma, Sule Tankarkar, Miga, and Buji.
Among the affected councils, Ringim recorded the highest number of victims with 1,182 people impacted, followed by Dutse with 792, Babura with 650, Kirikasamma with 605, and Birnin Kudu with 539.
Yakubu also confirmed an isolated flooding incident in Miga Local Government Area, where more than 70 hectares of farmland were destroyed. He explained that the incident could not yet be classified as part of the annual flooding season because major rivers in the state had not overflowed.
He assured residents that the state government would continue to strengthen disaster preparedness measures while providing relief and support to communities affected by natural disasters.
