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Nigeria: Whirlwind Wreaks Havoc in Niger, Kills 2
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Leadership (Abuja)
17 May 2008
Posted to the web 19 May 2008
Abdulazeez Sani
Abuja
A whirlwind has destroyed Baha village in Malale district of Borgu local government area of Niger State, leading to the death of two persons. The whirlwind, which is said to have been accompanied by fire, razed 48 houses, 150 rams, five bulls and farm produce. Vice chairman of Borgu local government area, Alhaji Baba Aliyu, who disclosed this to journalists yesterday in New Bussa, said only three houses were spared by the disaster in the village.
Aliyu explained that the mysterious wind, which emanated from the River Niger, was first thought to be a volcanic eruption going by the ferocious fire that accompanied it. He said since the ugly incident occurred about two weeks ago, the people of Baha village have been reduced to refugee status, with no shelter or food to eat, as all their belongings were lost to the disaster.
According to him, the council had spent about N500, 000 in the provision of relief materials such as clothing, beddings, foodstuff and plastic buckets, among others. The vice chairman disclosed that when the incident was reported to the state government, it mandated the council to source for funds and provide relief materials to alleviate the sufferings of the people. Aliyu appealed to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other donor agencies to come to the aid of the affected community.
Also speaking on the plight of the people of Borgu as a result of perennial flooding occasioned by the generating activities of the Kainji and Jebba hydro power stations, the vice chairman called on the National Assembly to expedite action on the passage of the HYPPADEC Bill.
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Aliyu, who lamented the neglect of Borgu since the construction of the Kainji Dam about 40 years ago, said out of the 208 communities which were resettled in 141 cluster villages, only three have electricity, stressing that the dam has brought more sorrow than relief to the people of the area. He said the people had lost their sources of livelihood to the dam. According to him, the authorities of Power Holding Company of Nigeria have been indifferent to the plight of the people, as no community in the area is linked to the national grid.
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