Abubakar Sadiq Isah
14 April 2009
Properties worth thousands of naira belonging to some residential houses and shops owners were Sunday evening destroyed by a heavy wind storm in Abaji town.
The heavy downpour, accompanied by strong wind, which lasted for over four hours, pulled down roof tops of some mud houses at Naharati, Abattoir and Kpokpolobi communities as well some houses within the metropolis of the council.
Our reporter, who visited some of the affected areas yesterday morning, saw some of the victims salvaging their luggage's to neighboring houses, while shops owners selling electronics, beer palours, barbing saloon and provision stores opposite the Abaji round- about, along the Lokoja road, were also seen wading through the heavy flood to remove their wares for safety.
A victim, Malam Shuaibu Yakubu, who was affected by the heavy storm said he had just completed roofing his house the previous day, while preparing to pack inn with his family when a large pellets ice crystal descended from the skies and destroyed his house.
"The carpenters just finished roofing the house yesterday, hoping to pack in with my family members today when a heavy wind descended on it and removed the whole zinc of my house" he said.
He disclosed that he and his family have been living in a self-contained house which he rented for over six years when his money expired last month, and appealed to the authorities of the council to come to their aid by providing them with relief materials.
All the drainage system from the senior staff quarters junction to Izala Mosque and the Abaji main round-about opposite Asio filling station, were overtaken by the flood , restricting motorists coming from the south to slow down.
Some of the commercial motorcycle operators ran for safety, as some pedestrians tried to manoeuvre through the flood while others solicited for help from private motorcycle owners.
While sympathizing with the victims, the Chairman of the council, Alhaji Yahaya Musa Mohammed, who described the disaster as shocking, promised that the council will assess the extent of damages caused by the storm in order to assist the affected people within the limited resources of the council.
Meanwhile, no human lives were lost or injury sustained in the disaster.
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