The windstorms that swept through Gwadabawa and Kware Local Government Areas of Sokoto State on Tuesday have claimed the lives of five residents, injured dozens, and left a trail of widespread destruction across both communities.
Officials from the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency and the National Emergency Management Agency, who conducted a joint on-the-spot assessment, disclosed the disaster that was left behind by the storm.
According to the assessment report, the storm affected over 1,400 homes and vital public infrastructure, including schools and other government buildings.
It was said that in Gwadabawa LGA alone, the disaster led to the destruction of 878 houses, affecting 1,306 households and displacing an estimated 7,836 individuals.
“Eleven people sustained varying degrees of injuries. Officials confirmed five fatalities in the Marabawa community, including two children aged 18 months and 3 years, who were identified as the children of one Mansur Salihu Talhi”
The assessment team in Gwadabawa, according to SEMA, included DPM Shehu Muhammad, Councillor for Gidan-Kaya Ward Hon. Siba Sodangi, community elder Adamu Abdullahi Talhi, and SEMA Desk Officer Nafi’u Bello.
According to SEMA, “In Kware LGA, 523 houses were reported destroyed, affecting 1,403 households and injuring 18 persons.
“Several public structures, including parts of Government Secondary School Kware, suffered significant damage to fences and classrooms.
“A particularly hard-hit area was Kofar-Barga in Kware, where the home of a resident, Ahmad Abbas, was flattened.
“Similarly, approximately 100 houses were damaged in the 30-Quarters area of the town.”
SEMA also confirmed that documentation of all affected individuals and properties is ongoing.
The agency said, “The data will be submitted to the state and federal governments to facilitate swift humanitarian assistance for the victims”
