Seven dead, 53 injured as windstorm ravages 120 Jigawa communities

A severe windstorm in Jigawa State has killed seven people, injured 53 others, and destroyed schools, hospitals and police stations across 13 local government areas.

At least seven people have died, and 53 others have been injured following a severe windstorm in Jigawa State. The tragedy was confirmed on Wednesday by Hannafi Fagam, executive secretary of the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

According to the SEMA boss, the disaster affected 5,403 households across 120 communities in 13 Local Government Areas. The affected areas include Dutse, Miga, Gwaram, Birnin Kudu, Ringim, Kiyawa, Babura, Kiri-Kasamma, Buji, Kaugama, Gumel, Gagarawa and Sule-Tankarkar.

Mr Fagam disclosed that four deaths were recorded in Dutse LGA, while Miga, Ringim and Sule-Tankarkar LGAs recorded one fatality each. The windstorm also wreaked havoc on critical public infrastructure, destroying more than 47 primary and secondary schools, three hospitals and two police stations, as well as numerous private properties.

The state government has approved emergency funds to provide immediate intervention and relief support to victims across the affected areas. Describing the incident as a natural disaster, the official appealed to international donor agencies, national organisations and the general public to intervene and support the ongoing relief efforts.

The destruction of 47 schools in a single windstorm is a disaster in itself. For the children of Jigawa, the loss of their schools compounds the trauma of displacement. The destruction of hospitals and police stations means that even when help arrives, the infrastructure to deliver it is gone.

This echoes the 2022 floods that devastated communities across Nigeria, destroying homes, farms and schools. The mechanism was different then, but the result was the same: communities left vulnerable, infrastructure destroyed, and a government response that came too late.

The winners: none. The losers: the families of the seven dead; the 53 injured; the 5,403 households that lost their homes; and the children of Jigawa, who have lost their schools.

Bottom Line: Seven dead, 53 injured, 120 communities affected, 47 schools destroyed. Jigawa is counting its losses. The rest of Nigeria should be counting its blessings.