Two residents have been confirmed dead, while property worth millions of naira was destroyed after a heavy downpour triggered flooding in the Malam Matari and Pompomari areas of Damaturu, Yobe State.
The victims, identified as 38-year-old Isa Haruna and 18-year-old Abba Kyari, reportedly drowned while attempting to make their way home during the early morning rainfall.
Their bodies were recovered by the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) during a search-and-rescue operation launched after residents raised an alarm upon seeing them swept away by the floodwaters.
According to SEMA on Tuesday, the rescue team, working in collaboration with the Yobe State Fire Service, found that both victims had already died by the time they arrived at the scene.
“Upon arrival at the scene, the victims were confirmed dead and their bodies were conveyed to the mortuary at the General Sani Abacha Specialist Hospital, Damaturu,” the agency said in a report.
Following the incident, SEMA urged the public, particularly parents and guardians, to closely supervise children, as schools are currently on vacation.
The agency also outlined six precautionary measures, including avoiding flooded roads and waterways, keeping children away from rivers and culverts, and reporting emergencies promptly to SEMA.
Other safety measures include clearing blocked drainage channels, staying alert to weather warnings, moving to higher ground during flooding, and avoiding contact with potentially contaminated floodwater.