Residents of Bara community in Kirfi Local Government Area, Bauchi State, say an unfinished road construction project worsened a recent flood that killed a woman and her four-year-old granddaughter and destroyed dozens of homes.
The flood followed heavy rainfall and strong winds on Tuesday. It swept through Unguwar Katsinawa in Bara Village, killing 50-year-old Aisha Sagir and her granddaughter, Aisha Shuaibu. Several houses, livestock, and property were also destroyed.
Community members told journalists on Sunday that the disaster was unprecedented. Dahiru Yuguda, 64, whose house and livestock were washed away, said the community had never experienced flooding of this scale in over a hundred years.
Yuguda blamed the ongoing road project for diverting floodwaters into residential areas. He said water channels were not properly identified or redirected because the work remained incomplete. “If the road had been completed, the water would have flowed through the appropriate channels,” he said.
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Many families are now homeless and fear further rainfall. Yuguda said women and children are occupying the few rooms still standing, while young people sleep in open spaces. “Whenever the weather changes, people become worried because they do not know where to seek refuge,” he added.
Another victim, 30-year-old Adamu Muhammad, said the flood destroyed his entire compound, including the family’s only well. His main concern now is caring for his elderly parents and young children. He recalled how residents evacuated elderly people to a nearby mosque during the disaster.
Both residents appealed to government agencies and humanitarian organisations for urgent support to complete the road and provide shelter for affected families. Muhammad also called on philanthropists and charitable groups to help victims rebuild their homes and restore their livelihoods.
Community elders said nothing like this had ever happened in Bara before, and residents remain on edge whenever clouds gather.
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