Adamu Yusuf, 36, said he “watched helplessly” as the catastrophic flood “washed away” his wife and newborn baby on May 29
Yusuf’s wife and child had just returned home after spending time with family in another town
The husband told BBC News he “lost everything” in the flood, but that “the most painful” losses were members of his family
A man says he “watched helplessly” as the catastrophic flood that killed more than 200 people in Nigeria “washed away” his wife and newborn baby.
Adamu Yusuf, 36, said he lost nine family members when the flood hit Tiffin Maza in north-central Nigeria on Thursday, May 29, according to BBC News.
Among those family members were his wife and newborn, who had returned to the town of Mokwa the day before the flood after spending time with family in another town.
“She was the one that woke me up when the flood hit, and I quickly gathered the family and told everyone to hold one another,” Yusuf explained. “As we stepped outside, we saw water everywhere in our living room and the compound. They panicked and we got disconnected.”
He later added, “I watched helplessly as water washed away my family. I survived because I could swim. It was God that saved me.”
Yusuf said he “lost everything” in the flood, but that “the most painful” losses were members of his family.
“The only valuable I have now is this cloth I am wearing which was even given to me by my friend,” he added, per BBC News.
The flooding occurred in the town of Mokwa, heavily impacting the districts of Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa following torrential rains, according to BBC News.
More than 200 people are believed to have died in the floods, and over 3,000 people have been displaced, the Associated Press reported.
More than 500 households were impacted by the flooding, and two roads were washed away and two bridges collapsed, Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesperson for the Niger State emergency service, previously told the AP.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said in a statement on X on Sunday, May 30, “I extend my heartfelt condolences to the affected families and the good people of Niger State at this difficult time.”
He later added, “Relief materials and temporary shelter assistance are being deployed without delay. We will ensure that no Nigerian affected by this disaster is left behind or unheard of. I assure all those impacted that your government stands with you.”