Jos Flood: A Man Still Searching For His Wife, Two Children - Survivor

A survivor of Sunday night’s flood that swept some houses in Gangare, Jos, Mr. Adam Ahmad, on Monday said that he was still searching for his wife and two children.

Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency, religious leaders and community elders have confirmed that at least 16 persons were killed by the flood that hit Gangare, Dilimi and Ungwan-Rogo settlements, after the Rikkos river overflowed its banks.

“I’m not sure they (wife and children) are still alive; but I can only say that I am still searching for them,” a visibly shaken Ahmad told the News Agency of Nigeria in Jos.

NAN reports that the flood swept away many houses, with many persons still missing. Ahmad told NAN, “We were sleeping when we heard the sound of water rushing into the house. Before we realised what was happening, the whole place had become like a stream.


“I immediately rushed to where my children were sleeping but did not see them; the whole place had been taken over by water, with a high speed current sweeping all around me. I was confused and rushed to where my wife was, but before I could enter her room, the entire house collapsed.

“It is a miracle that I escaped because the water almost consumed me. It got to my neck before I rushed out of the building. The building is lying over there,” he said, pointing to the debris.

Ahmad, who could not hold back tears, said that life was not worth living without his family. NAN reports that officials of NEMA have already established temporary camps to accommodate persons displaced by the disaster.

NEMA’s Director, Relief and Rehabilitation, Mr. Edward Maigida, told NAN that the officials were already conducting a census of the displaced persons and also carrying out an on-the- spot assessment of the situation, preparatory to the agency’s intervention.

Maigida said the number of dead persons was still being computed, and would be provided after the assessment.

At the temporary camps at the College of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Rikkos and UBE Primary School, Gangere, Maigida told the displaced persons to be “patient and orderly,” as NEMA would soon provide them with some relief materials.