Posted by By ROSE EJEMBI, Makurdi on
Over 500 persons were rendered homeless while property, worth over N900m including electricity poles were destroyed in Makurdi, at the weekend as a nine-hour rainstorm wreaked havoc on the Benue state capital. Many families are still devastated and in shock as houses and public facilities were destroyed by the rainstorm that left hundreds of people homeless.
Over 500 persons were rendered homeless while property, worth over N900m including electricity poles were destroyed in Makurdi, at the weekend as a nine-hour rainstorm wreaked havoc on the Benue state capital.
Many families are still devastated and in shock as houses and public facilities were destroyed by the rainstorm that left hundreds of people homeless.
When Daily Sun moved round the town to assess the extent of damage, rooftops of houses were seen blown off while both electricity poles and economic trees were pulled down with some of them blocking major roads in the metropolis.
Areas worst hit by the rainstorm are the School of Nursing on Kashim Ibrahim Road, High Level, Wadata, Demekpe and Wurukum where over 140 houses including churches, schools and shops were destroyed.
Also hit is the Nigerian Tribune and The Guardian Newspapers' offices in the town which had their roofs blown off and louvers shattered with several other properties destroyed.
The state Governor, Hon. Gabriel Suswam who went round the state capital to monitor the extent of damage described it as highly devastating and ordered that immediate measures be taken to mitigate the agony of victims even as he commiserated with affected families. The governor directed authorities of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria who were at the time of this report making frantic efforts to restore power to some areas of the town where electricity poles were pulled down.
At the School of Nursing, the governor ordered immediate repairs of the hostel blocks and classrooms whose rooftops were blown off and directed that drainages be constructed within the college premises.
At the state Police Headquarters Barracks where rooftops were blown off, men of the command and their families were busy packing what was left of their belongings outside to the open field.
Speaking to newsmen on the extent of damage suffered by the PHCN, the Business Manager of the company, Mr John Emerewa said no fewer than 20 power line poles were pulled down, while several hundreds of meters of power line had been cut and insulators destroyed. He added that he had mobilized his men to the field to ensure that power is restored to GRA where the seat of power is located.