A powerful windstorm that struck parts of Sokoto State on Tuesday has left at least five people dead, dozens injured, and over 1,400 homes destroyed across Gwadabawa and Kware Local Government Areas.
The scale of destruction was confirmed on Saturday during a joint on-the-spot assessment by officials of the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). The teams visited the worst-hit areas to evaluate the impact and begin preparations for relief efforts.
In Gwadabawa LGA, the storm wreaked severe havoc, leveling 878 homes and affecting 1,306 households. An estimated 7,836 residents were displaced.
Among the casualties were five individuals in the Marabawa community, including two young children—18 months and three years old—believed to be siblings.
Eleven people sustained various degrees of injuries in the area. Local officials and community leaders, including SEMA Desk Officer Nafi’u Bello, Councillor Hon. Siba Sodangi, and elder Adamu Abdullahi Talhi, participated in the damage assessment.
Kware LGA also recorded extensive damage, with 523 houses destroyed and 1,403 households affected. At least 18 residents sustained injuries. The storm damaged critical public infrastructure, including Government Secondary School Kware, where fences and classrooms were partially destroyed.
Some neighborhoods suffered especially severe impacts. In Kofar-Barga, the home of a resident, Ahmad Abbas, was completely flattened. Similarly, around 100 houses were reported damaged in the 30-Quarters area.
SEMA confirmed that documentation of affected persons and properties is still ongoing. The agency stated that the compiled data would be submitted to the state and federal governments to expedite the delivery of humanitarian relief to the victims.
