Dozens of angry flood victims attacked the Jigawa State government flood assessment team and damaged their vehicles at Ganuwar Kuka in Hadejia, Hadejia Local Government Area in Jigawa State.
The flood victims descended on a special adviser to Governor Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa and officials of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) immediately they arrived in the area.
The Special Adviser to the governor on Community Development and Social Inclusion, Alhaji Hamza Mohammed Hadejia led an assessment team with journalists on the present flood disaster were nearly killed when a mob of angry youths attack them while visiting the area.
Hadejia local council area, engulfed by heavy flood for years, is now a no-go-location for government officials as aggrieved residents plan to mob them over alleged government negligence of the area.
Confirming the incident, Alhaji Hadejia said, “It was trouble and unfortunate and it was God Almighty save us.”
Alhaji Hadejia added that if not the intervention of some elders in the area the story could be a different one.
He explained that “they pushed me inside a house and locked me in. From there, I crossed over about five houses and escaped. I thank God for His protection. I only ended up with minor injuries.”
An eye witness said the angry residents attacked them with sticks, matchets and other dangerous weapons to register their anger against the state government over alleged lacklustre attitude towards the flood that is currently affecting eight local government areas under Hadejia emirate.
The residents lamented that despite the reoccurring flood, the state government has not made provision for remedial measures neither has it established inter-agency or inter-government collaborations to curtail the menace.
The angry residents also chased away journalists taking footage of the flooded areas, lamenting that this has been the normal practice without any corresponding positive effect on their communities.
Hadejia town has been under intense siege by the flood where houses, farmlands, graveyards, were completely washed away by the flood.
Hadejia residents especially women and children have been forced to take refuge in fuel stations and unoccupied buildings.
