Kebbi State has had its fair share of flooding in Nigeria with human lives lost and other properties destroyed.
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Kebbi Government on Tuesday confirmed the death of a soldier and nine others in two separate flood disasters across the state.
A statement by Abubakar Dakingari, Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Atiku Bagudu issued in Birnin Kebbi, said the flood occurred in two local government areas on Thursday.
He listed the communities affected as Kanya village in Danko Wasagu Local Government and Mahuta in Fakai Local Government.
“A soldier and nine other people were killed by heavy flood as a result of incessant rainfall in the state; the soldier was said to have died while trying to rescue a woman from the flood.’’
Dakingari said although the body of the woman was recovered, that of the soldier had been washed away, but effort was on to recover the corpse.
He added that the remains of five victims were recovered at Kanya and three in Mahuta.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Bagudu had earlier visited the communities to commiserate with the victims.
At Kanya, the village Head, Alhaji Isah Dan Hassan, told the governor that many houses, livestock and farmlands were destroyed by the flood.
He urged government to construct emergency bridge and provide canoes for the immediate evacuation of residents to safer areas.
During the visit, Bagudu also made a stop over at Waje bridge, where a young man was reported to have jumped to his death.
At Fakai, Chairman of the local government, Musa Jarma, said 48 houses and a bridge linking the town to other parts of the state were destroyed.