Desmond Mgboh, Kano
This year, it was a long, long wait for the rain in Kano. On many occasions, residents had looked up to the sky for clouds, but were left with dashed hopes or empty promises.
In mid-June, however, the rain decided to fall. One evening, the sky flung open and the rain began to fall. But this was certainly not the showers that people expected as many would attest much later. It did not relieve them of their stress. On the contrary, it left problems. The rain was accompanied by a storm that hurt them and took away their happiness.
As at last count, no fewer than six lives were lost as a result of the storm. Others were hospitalised for the same reason of the ferocious storm. It was observed that that the storm, in its whirls of angst, raised rooftops, uprooted trees, fell fences, destroyed shelters, pulled down masts and obstructed pathways across the state capital, forcing many to run for safety.
On the morning after, it was simply an eyesore, a landscape burdened by the new challenges. Many agonised residents, helpless over the disastrous incident, were sighted in small groups discussing their misfortune while others were spotted making arrangements to re-fix their destroyed property-before the coming of another rain.
Mallam Abubakar Audu, who is resident at Kumataka Quarters, in Ungogo Local Government Area told Daily Sun that he was not a victim of the storm, but his neighbours were: “In my area alone, several newly constructed structures were damaged in one way or the other. Some rooftops or their zincs were blown away. For some, it was their fences that were pulled down and some, it was entire makeshift woody shops that was upturned and flung afar.
“The same thing happened in many areas too. I was told that in Tudun Wada, the rain equally destroyed houses, causing damages that would be hard to immediately repair because of the poor economic states of many affected persons.”
It was gathered that the windstorm destroyed some vehicles that were on the traffic when it began to fall. Some of the vehicles ran into trouble after the wind flung metals or other strong items that landed on them.
Just by the Press Centre of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, a mast belonging to one of the mobile telephone companies fell down, tearing a one storey building into two as it landed.
Neighbours estimated that it would cost a fairly good sum of money to put the structure back to shape while appreciating God that the felled mast did not result in any fatality.
The Kano State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), said the storm destroyed 600 houses in four local government areas and displaced 1,752 persons in Gwale, Rimin Gado, Gwarzo and Kibiya local government areas. Executive Secretary of the agency, Dr Sale Jili, hinted that six persons died. The deceased included a man, who was electrocuted at Ja’en and five others who were killed when a building collapsed at Gwale Local Council.
He said while many of the victims were taking shelter in nearby arrangements, including the homes of their relatives, the agency deployed its officers to take an inventory of the losses occasioned by the storm.
Government buildings were not spared by the storm. Among the mostly affected buildings were some schools, especially primary schools, which had been unused for sometimes now due to the lockdown.
As expected, electric polls on many streets were brought down, the same for wires and various electrical connections, resulting in the power outage and darkness in many parts of the state capital.
Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), admitted that the windstorm caused some distractions to its distribution network in Kano and some parts of Katsina State: “The turbulent wind blew off rooftops from buildings, communication antennas, tree branches among others fell on our installations causing homogenous distractions to our distribution lines.
“This means that some communities will be without supply this night in Kano and some parts in Katsina, though as always our Technicians have been mobilised to the field and are currently working to ensure that the situation does not prolong beyond necessary.
“Some of the network elements would partially be restored, but it is too early to accurately tell which area will be completely off circuit. KEDCO regretted the inconvenience this might have caused our numerous customers in the affected areas.”
Miss Ijeoma Ogbuagu, a mother of three, told Daily Sun that despite the windy storm and its accompanying inconveniences on the residents, the rain relaxed the heat of the atmosphere, cooling the temperature. She expressed sympathy over the losses while praying God to assist those affected to rebuild that their destroyed structures. Ogbuagu, who resides on Unity Estate, along Jaba Road, also called on residents to rework their drainage to avoid flooding in the respective areas of residence.