The combined effect of heavy rains and windstorm that occurred Friday night killed three-year-old Sharif Bashir and destroyed about 100 houses in Tudun-Yando village in Dange Shuni local government area (LGA) of Sokoto State.
EnviroNews gathered that the disasters, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday, affected Tudun Yan-dogo, Kwanar Kinba, Dogon Marke, Shuni town, Rafin Ali, Betta and Kadabale, among other villages.
The bereaved father, Bashir Aliyu, confirmed to EnviroNews that Sharif died as a result of a wall that fell down on him at around 3.00am on Saturday.
He said: “We regard the death of Sharif as an act of God. We have since buried him.” He added that, apart from farm produce and livestock that were lost to the combined disasters, several houses, schools and filling stations were also affected.
Sympathising with the victims of the disasters, the local government council chairman, Alhaji Mode Dan Tasallah, told EnviroNews that the council would provide temporary shelters to them in schools and other public buildings.
He added that the council would “set up a committee comprised 10 members to assess the extent of damage caused by the disasters. It will also recommend the types of assistance to be extended to the victims.”
Director-General of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Hassan Maccido, told EnviroNews that the agency would assess the situation and make recommendations to government.
By Abdallah el-Kurebe
