Flooding in Kankia town, Katsina State, has destroyed numerous houses and properties worth billions of Naira, leaving residents homeless.
Areas worst affected include Layi Quarters, Kofar Yamma, Gurara, Unguwar Rinji, parts of Sabon-Birni, and Bakin-Kasuwa, where many houses were completely destroyed. Other communities, including parts of Sabuwar-Abuja, Kanti, and Gachi, experienced partial destruction.
Affected residents are now seeking shelter with neighbours and relatives. Some described the disaster as unprecedented in over four decades and appealed to authorities and philanthropists for support.
Malam Mustapha Suleiman said flooding resulted from the collapse of a dam in a nearby village, which caused water to overflow into Kankia dam. “The dam in Kankia needs desilting and total rehabilitation because it can no longer hold water for long,” he said, explaining that blocked water flow caused the inundation.
Another resident, Malam Abubakar Abdullahi, noted that climate change and blocked drainages worsened the disaster.
The council chairman, Alhaji Lawal Abdullahi, confirmed inspecting affected areas with officials from SEMA but said the exact number of destroyed houses was still being assessed. “It is something from the Almighty Allah, and we pray to avert future occurrences,” he said.
(NAN)