Rainstorm destroys over 50 houses in Kebbi

No fewer than 50 houses were destroyed at Badariya area, Mobile Police Barrack, Bayan-Kara and parts of Gesse III in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State following rainstorm on Friday.

A cross-section of the victims interviewed by the News Agency of Nigeria at the scene on Saturday expressed shock over the incident.

They, however, said it would be difficult now to ascertain the losses and number of houses affected.

Malam Isyaku Mohammed, a resident of the area, estimated that over 50 houses might have been affected by the rainstorm.

Mohammed said: “One might not be wrong to say over 50 houses have been destroyed in different parts of the state capital.

“We accepted what happened as the will of God Almighty, who does what He wants at the time He wants, without questioning from anybody,”

He, however, appealed to the state government to come to the aid of the victims to cushion the effect of the disaster.

On his part, Isaac Musa, one of the victims, said the rainstorm started in the late evening, destroying a number of houses “not only here in Badariya but in other places too”.

Musa called on the government, Non-Governmental Organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to assist them to enable them to resettle down.

In his reaction, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi paid a visit to the affected communities and sympathised with them over the incident.

A statement by Alhaji Abubakar Mu’azu-Dakingari, Chief Press Secretary, Government House, said the governor visited the scene on Friday evening.

According to him, the governor made an on-the-spot visit to the area to assess the damages to property at Badariya.

Bagudu promised that the government would assist the victims with relief materials.

He said an assessment of the affected houses would be made to quantify the extent of damages.

Bagudu advised the victims to regard the incident as an act of God Almighty and prayed to Allah to provide them with succour.

NAN reports that several buildings and electric poles were destroyed by the windstorm at Badariya, thereby plunging the communities into darkness.

The rainstorm was believed to be unprecedented since the beginning of this year.

NAN.