Nigeria: Windstorm Destroys 327 Houses, Renders Thousands Homeless in Cross River

About 327 houses have been destroyed by windstorm in two communities of Nkarasi and Abinti in Ikom Local Government Area of Cross River State.

Vanguard learned that the windstorm also rendered over 2,500 persons homeless.

South-South Zonal Coordinator of National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Mr Godwin Tepikor, yesterday led a team of officials from the agency alongside staff of the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency on the assessment tour of the affected areas.

Youth leader of Nkarasi community, Mr Pius Ayum, who conducted the team round the affected houses, said the windstorm occurred on the night of March 3, 2022 with aviolent wind that preceded a downpour

Ayum said: “The disaster has caused untold hardship on the victims as many are now homeless and you know the rainy season is just commencing which means things might get worse. We are hereby calling on NEMA, SEMA and other relevant agencies to come to their aid as soon as possible, the suffering is much.”

Similarly, in Abinti community, the team was led round the area by a traditional ruler, Mr Akeng Nelson.

While conducting the team on the assessment tour, Nelson said that most households had relocated from their ancestral homes due to the destruction.

He appealed to the relevant agencies to assist them with building materials to alleviate their sufferings.

Fire destroys 448 shelters in Borno IDPs camps

Meantime, in Maiduguri, no fewer than 448 shelters at the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camp in Government Girls Secondary School, Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State, have been destroyed by fire, Tuesday.

The council chairman, Abatcha Ali-Kawu, confirmed the incident, yesterday when he went to commiserate with the victims at the camp.

Ali-Kawu was accompanied by a member representing Mafa at the state Assembly, Baba Ali-Modu, and other top officials of the local government.

He said many shelters and food items worth millions of Naira were destroyed, while hundreds of households in the camps were displaced during the fire outbreak which occurred on March 15.

The chairman urged the victims to have faith in God, noting that he would work with those in higher authorities to provide immediate succour to the affected victims.

Malam Ahmadu Abacha, the IDPs camp Chairman, said that the fire broke out at exactly 3:40 p.m., from one of the shelters before it engulfed and spread to other places.

Abacha explained that efforts by members of the host community and security agencies who quickly mobilised to the scene helped in bringing the situation under control.

He said that no life was lost to the fire nor injury recorded.

In his remarks, the council’s Secretary, Mohammed Sheriff, expressed shockmand deep sadness over the incident.

He advised the camp management to set-up a committee that would sensitise the people on proper ways of handling fire.

Sheriff, however, noted that the incessant fire incidents within the IDP’s were alarming and it had become necessary to provide measures that would prevent recurrences.

Vanguard News Nigeria

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