For hundreds of families in Mokwa, Niger State, this year’s Eid-el-Kabir brought no joy, as they could only express tears, unanswered questions, and the unbearable weight of loss.
While the world marked Sallah festivities, residents of the flood-ravaged communities continued to dig through debris, search for missing loved ones, and mourn relatives swept away by last week’s devastating flood that left nearly 200 people feared dead and over 3,000 people displaced.
Fathers, mothers and children looking for their loved ones on Friday said they had no reason to celebrate Eid Mubarak as they continued the search for their missing relatives.
The National Emergency Management Agency report of June 3, posted on its website, announced 160 dead, 3,108 people affected, 1,500 people displaced, 84 missing and 11 injured.
The Federal Government approved N2bn to rebuild the town and offered truckloads of food to provide relief for the victims.
Also, the Niger State Government promised to support displaced persons with food and other essential supplies.
However, more than a week after the flood disaster, many families said their loved ones remained missing, a development that cast a shadow of grief over the Sallah celebrations.
Victims’ gory tales
The displaced persons, who were camped in Tasim Maza Primary School in Mokwa, told Saturday PUNCH that the sorrow of losing their loved ones dimmed the joy that the Sallah celebration would have given them.
A 23-year-old mother of two, Rukkayat Mohammed, said she had yet to see her husband since the devastation and was afraid he might have been swept away in the flood.
According to Muhammed, the family had made big plans for the Sallah celebration, adding that the disastrous flood shattered their plans.
“I don’t know how I feel. I have not seen my husband since this flood came. I am afraid he may have been carried by the flood.
“Unfortunately, they have not recovered his body so I don’t know whether he is alive or dead,” the woman lamented.
When asked how she felt about Sallah, she retorted: “How do you want me to celebrate Sallah when I am still searching for my husband?
“We were together that Wednesday night when the rain started. He tried to arrange some of our things outside the house to make sure that the rain would not carry them away. That was the last time I saw him.
“I don’t know what happened. The rain swept away everything we had. Apart from the clothes I am wearing, everything is gone. I don’t know where to begin, I am in serious pain.”
Another victim, Fatima Jibrin, lost her two children, while her co-wife lost her four children along with their property to the flood.
She described the day as a black day she would always live to remember, saying there was nothing for her to celebrate in Sallah.
“This Sallah is not for me. I have lost everything. I don’t know what I am living for. The flood should have taken me also,” she lamented.
Jibrin said the incident started around 7:32 am.
“The incident happened very quickly. Before we could get out, the water had already entered our houses.
“I have two children, and my co-wife has four, making six in total. Only two are girls, while the remaining four are boys. It took all our properties. We didn’t see them, and we are hoping to see their corpses,” Jibrin said.
Sofiyat Liman, a 25-year-old woman, also lost four of her children, three girls and one boy, to the flood.
She said the four children were asleep in the morning, while she was awake.
“Suddenly, I heard people shouting, and I got so confused. I didn’t know what to do and just like that, my children were gone.
“Even now, we haven’t found them but we are still hoping to recover their bodies,” she said tearfully.
Meanwhile, when Saturday PUNCH visited the scene of the tragedy on Wednesday, many of the displaced persons had left the camp, with many wandering around the location of their houses.
One of the affected residents, Ibrahim Muktar, said he lost his entire family and did not know where to start.
“We were all sleeping when the water came. I’ve lived in Anguwan Hausawa for over 35 years, and I’ve never seen anything this bad,” he said with teary eyes.
Some of the displaced persons were sent to Kpege Primary School, in Mokwa, to await the intervention of the government through the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, but they abandoned the place due to its deplorable condition.
When Saturday PUNCH visited the school, not a single displaced person was seen, though some social workers, including officials of the United Nations Children’s Fund, were seen waiting for them.
One of the social workers (not UNICEF), who spoke to our correspondent under the condition of anonymity, said all the displaced persons left the camp and headed to the Tasin Maza Primary School camp.
At the Tason Maza Primary School, there was a large number of displaced people, especially women and children.
UNICEF boosts relief
At the camp, UNICEF erected two tents where officials administered drugs and carried out checks on the people.
UNICEF Water and Sanitation specialist, Theresa Pamma, who spoke with Saturday PUNCH on the intervention effort in the camp, said the agency was tackling the issue of outbreak of diseases.
“I’m here in Mokwa in response to the flood situation that happened. We are looking at interventions that we can implement to ensure that people have access to services.
“You can see here we have already set up a tent for health services.
“So, people are assessing their healthcare services here. We are also putting up other tents where people can stay because we know that the people are homeless, as their homes were washed away by the flood.
“We are also coming along with other treatments that have to do with the protection of water sources, and treatment of contaminated water,” she said.
Speaking on the displaced children in the camp, Pamma said, “Some of the children who lost their parents are now staying with friends of their parents, some with relatives, neighbours and so on.
“We won’t support a system that identifies such a situation and does nothing. We will ensure that those children are not abused in any way; they will live their lives and achieve their full potential.”
“We are also going to look at how pregnant women access healthcare so that they don’t go through complications.
“We are also looking at the issue of malnutrition. Children are being screened to detect malnutrition and those identified would be given the right supplements to correct it.”
Pamma said the agency would also conduct some tests on the water sources to find out if there is contamination.
“Water sources will be treated so that people have safe water.
“We are going to work on hygiene and sanitation, especially in these affected communities, so that we can improve the sanitary conditions.
“We will work towards eliminating open defecation in the communities and also ensure effective handwashing to address cholera and other excreta-related diseases,” Pamma added.
Sultan condoles victims
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’a Abubakar, commiserated with victims of the devastating flood.
At the Eid-el-Kabir prayer on Friday, the Sultan offered prayers for the repose of the souls of the deceased and called for immediate support for the survivors.
“We pray against the recurrence of such disasters and urge relevant authorities to come to the aid of affected families,” he added.
The Punch
