BY ABDULKADIR M. LAWAN, SEPTEMBER 09, 2024 | 07:35 PM
The Fateful Night
'I was asleep when the flood occurred, and a friend, my Editor-in-Chief, Abdulhamid Al-Gazali called to alert me to the danger,' Muhammad Adamu, who lives by the banks of the flooded river, recounted.
'It's something that I don't want to remember,' he said, recalling the night the flood caught him off guard.
He barely managed to rescue his family as the water overflowed everywhere in his house, and he couldn't take anything except his papers and laptop.
The Devastating Impact
The flood also destroyed Muhammad's poultry farm, which was his alternative source of livelihood.
Like him, his neighbors also lost millions.
One of them who lost properties and vital school documents didn't want to comment on the N100,000 support he received from the Government of Borno.
In the circumstance, he said the money amounted to nothing.
The Disaster
These are a few experiences from several others from the devastating flood that ravaged parts of Borno State, particularly Jere, Mafa, and Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, on September 10, 2024.
The disaster, caused by the collapse of the Alau Dam, claimed lives, destroyed properties worth millions of naira, submerged farmlands, and displaced over 400,000 people, including women and children.
Government Support
However, the government was able to support some of the victims with cash support ranging from N300,000 to N400,000, which was the highest a beneficiary had told LAKE CHAD TIMES to have received.
This support has been a lifeline for many, helping them to recover and rebuild their lives.
Infrastructure Damage
The flood also had a significant impact on the infrastructure in the affected areas.
For example, the damages of roads linking the Fori bridge disrupted the daily lives of residents of that area who had to take a long route to carry out their daily activities.
However, the youth of the area came together to construct a temporary bridge to ease transportation.
Fortunately, work has begun to rehabilitate the bridge, which will further ease transportation and facilitate economic activities in the area.
Also, the government has rehabilitated and reconstructed damaged road networks to ease transportation and facilitate access to affected areas.
Lamentations
Usman Mohammed, another victim, shared a similar tale of woe.
His car was damaged, clothes, and other valuable items worth millions of naira were lost.
Despite risking his life to rescue a friend's father who resides along the river bank, thinking the flood wouldn't reach his house, Usman couldn't salvage anything from his own home.
'One thing I'll never forget is my various certificates that I lost to the flood, which some of them I couldn't recover,' he said, still visibly distraught.
To add insult to injury, Usman didn't receive any government support despite being screened and captured by the flood committee.
'I was shown my data, but I ended up not getting anything while some people received the support twice or thrice, and some people weren't even victims but received it. To me, it's unfair,' he added, feeling frustrated and unfairly treated.
Another victim, Fatima Alhaji Bukar, a mother of two who resides along Maiduguri-Ngala Road, shared her heart-wrenching story.
The flood flooded her house, forcing her to rescue her children and spend the night on the road.
She later moved to Shuwari, where she spent two days beside the road, and then found a place to stay for eight days. Eventually, they were moved to Ngaranam.
According to her, she spent one month outside her residence.
'We received a support of 25kg of rice, one carton of spaghetti, two mats, mosquito net, and blanket. After that, we didn't receive anything up till now,' she added.
The Irony
The federal government of Nigeria had last year approved N80 billion for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Alau Dam, and work began a few months ago to avert potential flooding in the state.
Governor Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum had assured residents that there was no cause for alarm during his visit to the project site a few months ago.
Relief Efforts
The flood disaster prompted an outpouring of donations from individuals, corporate organizations, and governments.
Notable philanthropists like Aliko Dangote, Abdul Samad Rabiu (BUA), and the late Alhaji Aminu Dantata contributed to the relief efforts.
According to reports, a total of N12,046,500,000 was pledged, excluding non-cash donations like rice, bread, and fertilizer.
The breakdown includes:
These figures are compiled from publicly available media reports and represent pledge donations, not necessarily amounts already disbursed or credited to the relief fund.
Hope for Recovery
However, many victims, like Usman, are still waiting for support, while others have received assistance multiple times.
As the affected communities begin to rebuild their lives, they hope for a more equitable distribution of relief funds and support to help them recover from the devastating impact of the flood.
The memories of that fateful day may be painful, but with the right assistance, they can start to heal and move forward.
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