A devasting strong windstorm has killed four residents along the flattening and destruction of no fewer than 1,200 houses in Bama town of Bama Local Council Area of Borno state.
The incident which occurred Thursday evening made Governor Babagana Zulum to travel to Bama on Sunday to Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, on Sunday to commiserate with victims of a the devastating windstorm that lasted for over an hour.
Zulum was accompanied to Bama for the mournings of the killed residents by the member of the House of Representatives, Engr Bukar Talba, Secretary to Borno State Government, Bukar Tijani, Acting Chief of Staff, Engr Babagana Mustapha Malumbe, former commissioners, and other senior government officials.
Consequently, Zulum on arriving the affected community, announced for an immediate relief measures, including a cash payment of N500,000 to the families of each of the four residents that lost their lives in the windstorm.
The Governor also directed for a prompt assessment of the extent of destruction across the affected areas, stating, “The State government support support would be provided based on the severity of damage to each of the affect households.
While acknowledging the immediate needs of the victims, Zulum used the opportunity to warn residents against the indiscriminate felling of trees. a practice he said is the root cause of windstorms and other environmental disasters in the Northeast region.
“We must stop cutting down trees arbitrarily. This is a key factor behind the increasing intensity of storms and ecological challenges we face. We already have laws on the ground, and there is a need to ensure that we fully implement them,” Zulum said.
The governor also reassured the displaced persons of his administration’s unwavering commitment to returning all those still living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps to their ancestral homes in safety and dignity.
According to the Bama Local Chairman, Babagana Barma, more than 1,200 houses were affected by the windstorm disaster, while four persons tragically lost their lives.
In this article