Over 200 displaced as windstorms destroy houses in FCT community

More than 200 people have been displaced following the windstorms that destroyed houses on Saturday in the Pandagi community in Abaji Area Council of the FCT. A member of Pandagi community, Alhaji Ahmed Saidu, said the heavy windstorm, which started amid dark cloud between 7:30 to 8:23 pm, affected the house of the former Chief […]

More than 200 people have been displaced following the windstorms that destroyed houses on Saturday in the Pandagi community in Abaji Area Council of the FCT.

A member of Pandagi community, Alhaji Ahmed Saidu, said the heavy windstorm, which started amid dark cloud between 7:30 to 8:23 pm, affected the house of the former Chief Imam of the community, Sarkin Samari and chief of clerics of the community with the roofs of their houses blown off.

He added that other houses affected by the windstorm included those in  Anguwan Hausawa, Unguwar Bassa, Unguwar Gbagyi and Unguwar Ganagana, adding that the roofs of all the houses were also blown off by the windstorms.

He said the staff quarters of the Government Secondary School in the area were also destroyed, adding that many electric poles were pulled down.

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According to him, eleven people that comprised three children, four male adults and seven women, sustained injuries as a result of the heavy storms.

He said, “One of the elderly men was trapped when the entire roof of a house landed on him when he was trying to evacuate some of his belongings. But to God be the glory, he survived and he is responding to treatment at the hospital.”

Saidu said some of the affected victims were taking refuge at the neighbouring houses, even as he appealed to the FCT National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to come to the aid of the victims in order to enable them to fix their houses and return home.

The secretary of the chief of the community, Isah Ahmed Amshaga, described the incident as worrisome, saying it was the first time the community was witnessing such a natural disaster.

He confirmed that few people sustained minor injuries and were responding to treatment even as he appealed to the FCT NEMA to urgently come to the aid of the affected victims by providing them with some palliatives.

The palace secretary said the authorities of the area council, through the chief of staff to the council chairman, Mohammed Kandi, visited the community on Sunday to assess the extent of damage caused by the windstorm.