windstorm that swept across parts of Sokoto State on Tuesday has left five people dead, dozens injured, and thousands displaced in its aftermath, affecting communities in Gwadabawa and Kware Local Government Areas.
Officials from the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed the destruction after a joint assessment visit to the affected areas on Saturday.
According to their report, the storm wreaked havoc on more than 1,400 houses and several public buildings, including schools. Gwadabawa Local Government Area was the worst hit, where 878 houses were destroyed, affecting 1,306 households and displacing an estimated 7,836 people.
“Eleven people sustained varying degrees of injuries. Officials confirmed five fatalities in the Marabawa community, including two children aged 18 months and 3 years, who were identified as the children of one Mansur Salihu Talhi,” the agencies said in a statement.
The assessment team in Gwadabawa included SEMA Desk Officer Nafi’u Bello, DPM Shehu Muhammad, Gidan-Kaya Ward Councillor Hon. Siba Sodangi, and community elder Adamu Abdullahi Talhi, who all witnessed the extent of damage during the inspection.
In Kware Local Government Area, the storm destroyed 523 houses, impacting 1,403 households and leaving 18 people injured. Public infrastructure also suffered, as parts of the Government Secondary School, Kware—including classrooms and perimeter fences—were badly damaged.
Residents narrated the terrifying moment the windstorm struck. In the Kofar-Barga area of Kware, the home of a resident, Ahmad Abbas, was completely flattened. Similarly, about 100 houses were damaged in the 30-Quarters area of the town, worsening the humanitarian situation.
SEMA has confirmed that the documentation of affected persons and properties is still ongoing. “The compiled data will be submitted to the state and federal governments to support the provision of humanitarian aid to the victims,” the agency stated.
Local authorities have appealed for urgent intervention to provide relief materials to the displaced families, many of whom have lost their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the disaster.
