Bauchi community blames bad road for deadly flood

Residents of Bara community in Kirfi Local Government Area, Bauchi State, are blaming a stalled road project for a terrible flood that killed a woman and her granddaughter. The flood also destroyed many houses and other properties in the area.

On Sunday, 64-year-old Dahiru Yuguda spoke with journalists about the disaster. He lost his house and livestock in the flood and described what happened as something the community had never seen before.

He said the flood left many residents homeless. “Our community has never witnessed this kind of rainfall and flooding before. For more than a hundred years, people have lived in this community, and nobody can remember experiencing such a disaster,” Yuguda said.

He believes the ongoing road work is to blame for the flooding. He claimed that the unfinished project redirected floodwaters into homes. “We suspect that the road construction is responsible for what happened. The project has not been completed, and the water channels have not been properly identified or redirected. If the road had been completed, the water would have flowed through the appropriate channels,” he stated.

Yuguda also expressed concern for the future. Many residents are now living without shelter and worry about more rain. “Since the flood occurred, there has not been another rainfall, but whenever we see clouds gathering, everybody becomes frightened because many families no longer have roofs over their heads,” he added.

He shared that women and children are using the few rooms that survived. Many young people are sleeping outside. “Some women and their children are managing the remaining rooms, while many youths sleep in open spaces. Whenever the weather changes, people become worried because they do not know where to seek refuge,” he said.

The community leader called on the government and other authorities to help. “What we need now is for the road project to be completed so that the water channels can be properly identified and redirected. We also need support from the government and humanitarian organisations to rebuild our houses and provide shelter for affected families,” he appealed.

Another victim, 30-year-old Adamu Muhammad, said he is worried about his elderly parents and young children. He explained that the flood ruined all the buildings in his compound, including their water source. “The flood destroyed everything we had, including our well, which was our only source of water. My major concern now is how to take care of my elderly parents and young children,” Muhammad said.

He noted that older residents keep saying they have never seen such a disaster. “Our parents and elders have told us that nothing like this has ever happened in this community before. We are deeply saddened and devastated by what happened,” he said.

Muhammad recalled how hard it was to help vulnerable people during the flood. “We had to move elderly people out of their houses and take them to a nearby mosque for safety. It was a very difficult situation,” he added.

He also asked for help from generous Nigerians to support victims in rebuilding their homes. “We are calling on individuals, charitable organisations and philanthropists to come to our aid. We need help to rebuild our houses and start our lives again,” he said.

Remember that heavy rain and strong winds on Tuesday caused the deaths of two people and destroyed many houses, livestock, and property in Bara community, Kirfi Local Government Area of Bauchi State. The victims were identified as 50-year-old Aisha Sagir and her four-year-old granddaughter, Aisha Shuaibu, both from Unguwar Katsinawa in Bara Village.