Where exactly is Governor Sanni Bello? This is the question on the lips of most residents of the state especially those living in parts of the state capital, Minna, that has been flooded following a few hours rain yesterday. Many families, shops and business concerns in Minna capital of Niger state are now counting their loss as a result of a four hour heavy rain in the state capital Friday morning.
It left properties worth millions of naira destroyed after the rain which started 4am and stop by 8am.
Flooded area of the town
Several people were trapped in their home due to the lock down and some residents we spoke to only said they knew the rain was heavy but they would not know the extent of damage.
Some residents said they had been experiencing power supply blackout for about four days so they were on Generator.
“Most people here are on cable tv and hardly watch the local media or listen to the radio”, our sources said.
A resident along the Airport road who disallowed photograph of his fallen fence said he is a retired civil servant and does not have the resources to raise the fence.
Checks round the town revealed that several rooftops, houses, fences, were destroyed as well as trees, and electric poles among others were uprooted by the rainstorm.
A report said the heavy rain uprooted a big tree at the Sabon Tete area of Tunga, under which a motorcycle was packed along the road that took the efforts of several people including tree cutters to retrieve the already damaged motorcycle.
The owner of the motorcycle, Mallam Danasabe Rijau and his wife Aisha thanked God for saving his life and described what happened as an act of God.
Rijau, a father of nine said the rain, which was supposed to a blessing, has destroyed the only source of livelihood for him and his family.
“Though, I thank God for saving me, I never knew this is going to happen to me today. This morning after washing my motorcycle and sat inside but, stepped out when the rain started.
Few minutes later, when I looked back, I saw the tree on my Okada. If, I have not left the place, I would have died. I thank God for that. And, now with our only means of living destroyed, I need help to feed my large family,” he stated.
Along the Shiroro Road, the downpour also destroyed rooftops, and uprooted trees on the road including the two trees in front of the Federal University of Technology, which obstructed vehicular movements.
To ensure free flow of vehicles, men of the state Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC were drafted to the area and tree cutters were busy cutting and clearing the road.
The rain also raked havoc at Niteco, Bay Clinic, Sabon Gari, Centre Mosques areas among others where rooftops were blown away even as carpenters were seen carrying out repairs on their own.
