Flood sacks over 100 households in Kebbi

• Four pilgrims die during 2017 Hajj

Following the heavy downpour yesterday in some riverine areas in Kebbi State and neighbouring communities along the border with Niger Republic, no fewer than 100 households have been displaced while property worth millions of naira were destroyed by the flood.

The flood was compounded as a result of the River Niger overflowing its banks in the border town of Dolekaina in Dandi Local Government Area of Kebbi.
Confirming the incident to newsmen yesterday in Government House, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Abubakar Mu’azu Dakingari, said Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, who visited the area to sympathise with the victims, prayed for God’s protection against a recurrence.

He added that the governor has directed an immediate evacuation of the affected families to a safer place, provision of food items, potable water, drugs, mattresses and virgin land for permanent settlement.

The governor was conducted round the flooded areas by the Marafan Dolekaina, Alhaji Muhammadu Bello Suleiman, who told the entourage that the water has submerged both Dolekaina in Nigeria and its twin town, Dole Faransi in Niger Republic.

Furthermore, Bagudu has directed for a census of all the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the North-east as a result of insurgency to pave way for assistance to enable them relocate to Maiduguri to reunite with their families or be provided with financial support to engage in trade and agriculture in the state.

Earlier, leader of the victims, Alhaji Ali Doron-Baga, pleaded with the state government to assist them travel back to Maiduguri to join their families.
Meanwhile, the Kebbi State Pilgrims’ Welfare Agency yesterday said four out of its 4,929 pilgrims died while performing this year’s hajj in Saudi Arabia.

The state chairman of the agency, Alhaji Bala Sakaba, said in Birnin Kebbi that two of the deceased died after a brief illness. “The remaining two died while performing the Islamic obligatory exercise in Mecca.’’

According to the agency, the pilgrims are Alhaji Sani Zuru, an Islamic cleric from Zuru Local Government Area and Hajiya Fati Fakkai from Fakai Local Government Area. Others are Alhaji Adamu Liman from Argungu Local Government and Hajiya Rashida Musa from Shanga Local Government Area.

Sakaba, who was represented by Dr Hali Bala, a member of the state’s Amir Hajj delegation, sympathized with the families over the death of the pilgrims and prayed Almighty Allah to grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.