Residents of Dankama in the Kaita local government area of Katsina State, were thrown into panic over the weekend following a torrential downpour that left homes, streets, and even the Central Jumu’ah Mosque submerged in floodwater.
The heavy rainfall, which began on Saturday night and lasted into the early hours of yesterday, left many neighbourhoods into rivers overnight.
Dankama, like several other parts of the state, bore the brunt of the deluge, forcing many families to remain on their feet all night as water invaded their homes.
“We didn’t sleep a wink. The flood took over our houses. Most of us stood all night to keep our children safe,” said Alhaji Ismail Namadi Dankama, a long-time resident of the town.
Expressing deep concern over the growing danger, Alhaji Namadi urgently appealed to the Katsina State government, led by Governor Mallam Dikko Umaru Radda, to act swiftly.
He lamented that all the town’s drainage systems were either completely blocked or had disappeared altogether, worsening the flood’s impact.
“This is an emergency. Our lives and properties are at risk. We need immediate government intervention to clear and reconstruct our drainage before the next rain comes,” he pleaded.
The current situation has exposed the vulnerability of communities like Dankama to seasonal floods, raising questions about infrastructure maintenance and disaster preparedness in the state.
