A wave of grief has engulfed Janbago community in Katsina State following the tragic death of two young brothers who were swept away by floodwaters while returning home from Islamiyya school after a heavy rainfall.
The victims, 12-year-old Muhammad Salisu and his younger brother, Abdurrahman Salisu, aged seven, reportedly lost their lives when a torrential downpour accompanied by strong winds triggered severe flooding across the area, turning roads and pathways into dangerous streams.
Residents immediately launched a desperate search operation after the children were reported missing. Hours later, their bodies were recovered from separate locations, bringing a heartbreaking end to efforts to find them alive.
The tragedy plunged the entire community into mourning as sympathisers, neighbours and relatives gathered at the family home to offer condolences and support to the grieving parents.
Struggling to contain his emotions, the children's father, Malam Salisu Arabi, described the incident as the darkest moment of his life.
According to him, the boys had left home that morning like countless other children attending religious lessons, and there was no indication that the rainfall would end in such devastating circumstances.
"I never imagined that I would lose my two sons in a single day," he said. "The pain is beyond words. I pray that Allah grants them Aljannatul Firdaus. My appeal is for government intervention so that no other family will experience this kind of tragedy."
Their mother, overcome with grief, said the loss had left a void that could never be filled.
"They were my joy and my hope," she lamented. "Today they are gone because of flooding. My heart is shattered. I am pleading with the authorities to find a solution to this problem. No mother should have to bury her children because of something that can be prevented."
Beyond the family's pain, residents say the tragedy highlights a longstanding environmental challenge that has continued to threaten lives and property in Janbago for years.
Community members explained that floodwaters from several parts of Katsina Local Government Area routinely converge on the settlement whenever there is heavy rainfall, largely due to the absence of adequate drainage infrastructure.
A community elder noted that the recurring floods have caused widespread erosion, destroyed roads, damaged homes and exposed residents to constant danger during every rainy season.
He said repeated appeals to successive administrations and relevant agencies for drainage construction and erosion-control projects have yielded little progress.
The Chairman of the Janbago Community Development Association, Malam Tajuddeen, described the deaths of the two brothers as one of the most painful consequences of a problem the community has battled for more than a decade.
He said residents have endured years of flooding that have repeatedly washed away roads, destroyed property and disrupted daily life.
"This is one of the saddest incidents we have witnessed because it claimed the lives of two innocent children," he said. "Whenever heavy rain falls, water from different parts of Katsina flows through this community because there are no adequate drainage channels."
According to him, the community has submitted several requests and petitions to government authorities over the years but has yet to receive a permanent solution.
He appealed directly to Governor Dikko Umaru Radda to intervene urgently, stressing that the situation has moved beyond an environmental concern and has become a serious threat to human lives.
"We need proper drainage systems and effective erosion-control measures before another tragedy occurs," he said.
The heartbreaking deaths have renewed calls for immediate government action, with residents urging the Katsina State Government and relevant agencies to prioritise flood-control projects and drainage infrastructure across vulnerable communities to prevent further loss of lives during the rainy season.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!