Tragedy struck Janbago community in Katsina State after two brothers were swept away by floodwaters while returning home from an Islamiyya school following a heavy downpour.
The victims, identified as 12-year-old Muhammad Salisu and his seven-year-old brother, Abdurrahman, were reportedly caught in the flood as rainfall accompanied by strong winds turned streets into fast-flowing torrents. Their bodies were later recovered from separate locations after a search by residents.
The incident threw the community into mourning as sympathisers gathered at the family home to console the bereaved parents.
The children's father, Malam Salisu Arabi, described the incident as the most devastating experience of his life, saying he never imagined the rain would claim the lives of his two sons.
He appealed to the government to take urgent steps to prevent similar tragedies.
Their mother, who was overwhelmed with grief, also urged authorities to address the persistent flooding in the area, saying no parent should have to lose children under such circumstances.
Residents blamed the tragedy on years of poor drainage infrastructure, explaining that runoff from several parts of Katsina Local Government Area converges on Janbago during heavy rainfall, causing severe flooding, erosion and damage to roads and homes.
Chairman of the Janbago Community Development Association, Malam Tajuddeen, said the flooding had persisted for over a decade despite repeated appeals to successive governments.
He called on Governor Dikko Umaru Radda to urgently provide proper drainage and erosion-control projects to avert further loss of lives.
Community leaders and residents appealed to the Katsina State Government and relevant agencies to immediately implement lasting flood-control measures, warning that more lives could be at risk if the problem remains unresolved.
0 Comments