The heavy rainfall, which lasted for several hours, was said to have started in the late hours of Sunday and continued through the early hours of Monday.
A flood caused by a heavy downpour has submerged Gashua
town, the headquarters of Bade local government area of Yobe State, with the
impact washing away corpses in a graveyard.
Gashua is the hometown of Nigeria’s Senate president, Ahmad Lawan, who represents Yobe North district.
The heavy rainfall, which lasted for several hours, was
said to have started in the late hours of Sunday and continued through the
early hours of Monday.
It was learnt that the flood, which led to the washing
away of many graves, caused panic in the area as the residents attempted to
rescue the corpses from being washed away.
A concerned citizen in the area, who identified himself
as Alhaji Abba, said the whole town was bewildered by disturbing development.
“What we saw here at our graveyard is shocking and
disturbing as the flood has completely taken over the yard. Corpses were
exposed, hence making it extremely difficult to bury new bodies.
“We are appealing to the government and well-meaning
individuals to respond immediately. This place belongs to everyone because
sooner or later it will be the final destination for everyone”, he said.
Reacting to the development, the Executive Secretary Yobe
State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr. Mohammed Goje, who confirmed the
incident, said his agency had made all necessary arrangements to rehabilitate
the graveyard.
“We are going to provide cement, blocks, sand, and other
logistics for the rehabilitation work to commence at the graveyard,” he said.
Located near a low-cost housing estate, the graveyard is
believed to be one of the biggest in the ancient town where remains are
committed to the earth.
Perennial flooding is one of the environmental challenges bedeviling Gashu’a, a semi-urban community located in the northern part of Yobe State.
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