Latest news with #AdamuYusuf
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Man Says He 'Watched Helplessly' as Deadly Flood 'Washed Away' His Wife and Newborn Baby
Adamu Yusuf, 36, said he 'watched helplessly' as the catastrophic flood "washed away" his wife and newborn baby on May 29 Yusuf's wife and child had just returned home after spending time with family in another town The husband told BBC News he 'lost everything' in the flood, but that 'the most painful' losses were members of his familyA man says he 'watched helplessly' as the catastrophic flood that killed more than 200 people in Nigeria 'washed away' his wife and newborn baby. Adamu Yusuf, 36, said he lost nine family members when the flood hit Tiffin Maza in north-central Nigeria on Thursday, May 29, according to BBC News. Among those family members were his wife and newborn, who had returned to the town of Mokwa the day before the flood after spending time with family in another town. "She was the one that woke me up when the flood hit, and I quickly gathered the family and told everyone to hold one another,' Yusuf explained. 'As we stepped outside, we saw water everywhere in our living room and the compound. They panicked and we got disconnected." He later added, "I watched helplessly as water washed away my family. I survived because I could swim. It was God that saved me.' Yusuf said he 'lost everything' in the flood, but that 'the most painful' losses were members of his family. 'The only valuable I have now is this cloth I am wearing which was even given to me by my friend,' he added, per BBC News. The flooding occurred in the town of Mokwa, heavily impacting the districts of Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa following torrential rains, according to BBC News. More than 200 people are believed to have died in the floods, and over 3,000 people have been displaced, the Associated Press reported. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. More than 500 households were impacted by the flooding, and two roads were washed away and two bridges collapsed, Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesperson for the Niger State emergency service, previously told the AP. Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said in a statement on X on Sunday, May 30, 'I extend my heartfelt condolences to the affected families and the good people of Niger State at this difficult time.' He later added, 'Relief materials and temporary shelter assistance are being deployed without delay. We will ensure that no Nigerian affected by this disaster is left behind or unheard of. I assure all those impacted that your government stands with you.' Click here to learn more about how to help the victims of the Nigerian floods. Read the original article on People
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- Climate
- NZ Herald
Mokwa floods: Death toll rises above 150 as search continues
Adamu Yusuf was preparing to go to the Mokwa market when he heard his neighbour shouting - floodwaters were sweeping through the Nigerian town. Water had been building up for days last week behind an abandoned railway track that runs along the edge of the town, residents told AFP. It
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
As toll rises, Nigeria flood victims recall worst disaster in memory
Adamu Yusuf was preparing to go to the Mokwa market Thursday morning when he heard his neighbour shouting: floodwaters were sweeping through the Nigerian town. Water had been building up for days behind an abandoned railway track that runs along the edge of the town, residents told AFP. It was not the first time heavy rains had accumulated behind the mud mounds on which the tracks stand, but it would soon be the deadliest. The floods that hit Mokwa, in north-central Nigeria's Niger state, are the worst in living memory, with the death toll topping 150 and continuing to climb and hundreds feared missing. Climate change has made weather swings in Nigeria more extreme, but it became clear that other human factors were also at play. Floodwaters would usually pass through a couple of culverts in the mounds and run into a narrow channel. But this time, debris had blocked the culverts, forcing water to build up behind the clay walls that eventually gave way. The resulting flood swept through the community, flattening it within hours on Thursday morning. Volunteers and disaster response teams have been fanning out in the days since, sometimes recovering bodies nearly 10 kilometres (six miles) away after people were swept into the powerful Niger River. Yusuf struggled to save his family, before being knocked unconscious by the floodwaters. When he woke up in hospital, he was told his wife, son, mother and other relatives -- nine in total -- had been swept away. Only one body has been recovered. "I don't know who rescued me," Yusuf, 36, told AFP. He stood where his house used to be as residents, including children as young as 10, dug through debris in search of bodies. A powerful stench filled the air, which residents said came from decaying corpses trapped under the rubble. Carcasses and puddles littered the area, and a huge gully now sits in the centre of the community. The only excavator working nearby was focused on piling boulders to reinforce a small bridge on the edge of the community that had been destroyed by the flood. "I have never seen anything like this in my 42 years of existence," said Adamu Usama, a civil engineer who said he lost 10 in-laws to the flood. His house was barely spared. "We saw the water carrying people but we cannot save (them), because we don't know how to swim." - Left in limbo - Days before the disaster struck Mokwa, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency had warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria's 36 states, including Niger state, between Wednesday and Friday. Floods in Nigeria are exacerbated by inadequate drainage, the construction of homes on waterways and the dumping of waste in drains and water channels. In 2024, floods killed 321 people across 34 of Nigeria's 36 states, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). The Mokwa floods threaten to top that. The Niger state emergency management agency said 153 people were killed in Mokwa as of Sunday, all of whom have been buried. But residents and traditional rulers insist the number is far higher. "Anybody that tells you this is the number of people that died is just guessing," one resident, Saliu Adamu, 45, told AFP. Although President Bola Tinubu said the disaster response was being aided by security forces, only a handful of soldiers and police were at the scene Sunday afternoon, mostly to ease traffic that had built up because of the damaged bridge. The state governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, is in Saudi Arabia for the hajj pilgrimage. Residents said his deputy, Yakubu Garba, had visited. Many people who lost their loved ones and property are still waiting for assistance. tba/nro/rlp
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
'I watched helplessly as water washed my family away' in Nigeria floods
Adamu Yusuf's life has been upended since he lost nine of his family members in Tiffin Maza, one of two communities in his town worst-hit by floods in north-central Nigeria. The father-of-one, 36, said his wife and newborn baby were among those washed away in floods early on Thursday morning in Niger state. "She was the one that woke me up when the flood hit, and I quickly gathered the family and told everyone to hold one another. As we stepped outside, we saw water everywhere in our living room and the compound. They panicked and we got disconnected." His wife and baby had only just returned to the town of Mokwa a day prior, after having stayed at his in-laws house for a few weeks after having given birth. "I watched helplessly as water washed away my family. I survived because I could swim. It was God that saved me," Mr Adamu said. Local officials say the death toll has risen to more than 200 on Sunday, a sharp increase from 110 on Friday. There are fears the number could still rise further. The mood in the Tiffin Maza community on Saturday was one of grief, despair and loss. Scattered clothes, soaked mattresses and crushed metal roofing sheets were some of the last remains of what are now hundreds of destroyed houses. The structures still standing bear the harsh impact of the floods, with roofs washed off or some parts of the buildings destroyed. Standing on a blue tiled floor, the only thing that points to where his bedroom once was, Mr Adamu looked around the vast empty space that has replaced his community. "I lost everything to this flood. But the most painful is that of my family. The only valuable I have now is this cloth I am wearing which was even given to me by my friend." He said one relative has been found dead and he has "resigned to fate that others won't return" to him alive. Nineteen-year-old high school graduate, Isa Muhammed, has been inconsolable since he heard that his beloved teacher's house was washed away while the teacher and eight members of his family were inside. "Two have been found dead; one of them was his baby. My teacher, his second child, his sister and four other relatives are still missing. A building fell on his wife who wasn't inside the house with them, and she died instantly." Mr Muhammed also lost family, remembering his uncle who died in the disaster. "Uncle Musa was a very good friend to my late father. He took care of me since my dad died in 2023. He taught me to value education and always told me to do the right thing. "Anytime I am alone and think about him, tears always roll down my cheeks. I haven't been able to sleep since the incident happened," Mr Muhammed said. The water has now receded, and residents gathered on Saturday to offer condolences to the victims and also lend a hand in the search efforts. Some residents told BBC News that the deluge was at least 7ft (2.1m) high in some parts of the community. There was a strong foul smell around Tiffin Maza, and residents believe it is proof that there were dead bodies under the thick mud the floods washed up. They are working to find them and give the dead a decent burial like they have done for others since Thursday. "I have never seen that kind of floods before in my life, but I am grateful that my family survived it," 65-year-old Ramat Sulaiman said. Ms Sulaiman's house was completely destroyed, rendering her family homeless. She said 100 children who used to sleep in a Quranic school two blocks from her house "all got washed away". "It was a painful sight for me. The children cried for help, but no one could do anything. As their cries got louder, their building sunk and flowed away." Her son, Saliu, has been left homeless and broke. "I lost at least $1,500 to the floods. It was the proceeds from the sale of my farm produce the previous day. I contemplated going back into the room to get it, but the pressure of the water scared me," he said. "I also lost eleven bags of groundnuts and seven bags of beans. My wife and I couldn't pick anything from our room. But I am grateful we made it out on time. There were so many dead bodies in the water." He has been having nightmares since, he said. "I am traumatised." Authorities are yet to confirm if a dam broke, exacerbating the impact of the recent floods as widely reported. Mokwa District Head, Alhaji Muhammadu Shaba Aliyu, indicated to the BBC that there is a "reservoir" in the area that can spill out water "anytime there's rain", however he added that the magnitude of the flood is excessive. Residents told BBC News they believed the floodwater was not caused by the heavy rainfall they had experienced. "The rain couldn't have caused the floods because it had subsided and there was no water anywhere. I was outside and suddenly I saw water gushing down in high speed and scattering everything on its path," Mr Muhammed said. Ms Sulaiman said: "When I woke up for prayers, I opened the door and looked outside and didn't see any water. Moments later, I started hearing people screaming. We don't know where it came from. Its source is a mystery." "For people that said the flood was as a result of the rain, they are lying. The rain had stopped before the flood started. Nobody knows the cause of this flood, it's just from God," Mr Adamu said. Mokwa Deputy Local Chairman, Musa Alhaji Aliyu Kimboku, also dismissed that rain caused the flood. The National Emergency Management Agency said those injured are receiving treatment, while displaced victims have been taken to resettlement camps and relief materials distributed. The country's Meteorological Agency has projected that the rainy season will last up to 200 days in central Nigeria this year, while it could linger for a longer period in mostly southern states. At the beginning of May, the federal government launched a flood awareness campaign, to educate citizens on flood risks. Thirty of the West African nation's 36 states are at risk of flooding, and Niger state is one of them. As victims salvage what they can from the ruins of their homes to start a new life, those that lost their loved ones like Mr Adamu said that they will never be able to heal, although they have accepted their fate. Nigeria's floods and drought worsening food insecurity Nigeria floods: People evacuate on top of cars Nigeria floods: 'I have nowhere to go' Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
BBC News
3 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Nigeria floods: "I watched helplessly as water washed my family away"
Adamu Yusuf's life has been upended since he lost nine of his family members in Tiffin Maza, one of two communities in his town worst-hit by floods in north-central father-of-one, 36, said his wife and newborn baby were among those washed away in floods early on Thursday morning in Niger state."She was the one that woke me up when the flood hit, and I quickly gathered the family and told everyone to hold one another. As we stepped outside, we saw water everywhere in our living room and the compound. They panicked and we got disconnected."His wife and baby had only just returned to the town of Mokwa a day prior, after having stayed at his in-laws house for a few weeks after having given birth."I watched helplessly as water washed away my family. I survived because I could swim. It was God that saved me," Mr Adamu officials say the death toll has risen to more than 200 on Sunday, a sharp increase from 110 on Friday. There are fears the number could still rise further. The mood in the Tiffin Maza community on Saturday was one of grief, despair and clothes, soaked mattresses and crushed metal roofing sheets were some of the last remains of what are now hundreds of destroyed structures still standing bear the harsh impact of the floods, with roofs washed off or some parts of the buildings on a blue tiled floor, the only thing that points to where his bedroom once was, Mr Adamu looked around the vast empty space that has replaced his community."I lost everything to this flood. But the most painful is that of my family. The only valuable I have now is this cloth I am wearing which was even given to me by my friend."He said one relative has been found dead and he has "resigned to fate that others won't return" to him high school graduate, Isa Muhammed, has been inconsolable since he heard that his beloved teacher's house was washed away while the teacher and eight members of his family were inside."Two have been found dead; one of them was his baby. My teacher, his second child, his sister and four other relatives are still missing. A building fell on his wife who wasn't inside the house with them, and she died instantly."Mr Muhammed also lost family, remembering his uncle who died in the disaster."Uncle Musa was a very good friend to my late father. He took care of me since my dad died in 2023. He taught me to value education and always told me to do the right thing."Anytime I am alone and think about him, tears always roll down my cheeks. I haven't been able to sleep since the incident happened," Mr Muhammed water has now receded, and residents gathered on Saturday to offer condolences to the victims and also lend a hand in the search residents told BBC News that the deluge was at least 7ft (2.1m) high in some parts of the was a strong foul smell around Tiffin Maza, and residents believe it is proof that there were dead bodies under the thick mud the floods washed are working to find them and give the dead a decent burial like they have done for others since Thursday."I have never seen that kind of floods before in my life, but I am grateful that my family survived it," 65-year-old Ramat Sulaiman Sulaiman's house was completely destroyed, rendering her family homeless. She said 100 children who used to sleep in a Quranic school two blocks from her house "all got washed away"."It was a painful sight for me. The children cried for help, but no one could do anything. As their cries got louder, their building sunk and flowed away."Her son, Saliu, has been left homeless and broke."I lost at least $1,500 to the floods. It was the proceeds from the sale of my farm produce the previous day. I contemplated going back into the room to get it, but the pressure of the water scared me," he said."I also lost eleven bags of groundnuts and seven bags of beans. My wife and I couldn't pick anything from our room. But I am grateful we made it out on time. There were so many dead bodies in the water."He has been having nightmares since, he said."I am traumatised." Authorities are yet to confirm if a dam broke, exacerbating the impact of the recent floods as widely District Head, Alhaji Muhammadu Shaba Aliyu, indicated to the BBC that there is a "reservoir" in the area that can spill out water "anytime there's rain", however he added that the magnitude of the flood is told BBC News they believed the floodwater was not caused by the heavy rainfall they had experienced."The rain couldn't have caused the floods because it had subsided and there was no water anywhere. I was outside and suddenly I saw water gushing down in high speed and scattering everything on its path," Mr Muhammed said. Ms Sulaiman said: "When I woke up for prayers, I opened the door and looked outside and didn't see any water. Moments later, I started hearing people screaming. We don't know where it came from. Its source is a mystery.""For people that said the flood was as a result of the rain, they are lying. The rain had stopped before the flood started. Nobody knows the cause of this flood, it's just from God," Mr Adamu Deputy Local Chairman, Musa Alhaji Aliyu Kimboku, also dismissed that rain caused the National Emergency Management Agency said those injured are receiving treatment, while displaced victims have been taken to resettlement camps and relief materials country's Meteorological Agency has projected that the rainy season will last up to 200 days in central Nigeria this year, while it could linger for a longer period in mostly southern the beginning of May, the federal government launched a flood awareness campaign, to educate citizens on flood of the West African nation's 36 states are at risk of flooding, and Niger state is one of victims salvage what they can from the ruins of their homes to start a new life, those that lost their loved ones like Mr Adamu said that they will never be able to heal, although they have accepted their fate. More BBC Africa stories about Nigeria Nigeria's floods and drought worsening food insecurityNigeria floods: People evacuate on top of carsNigeria floods: 'I have nowhere to go' Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
