A heavy rainstorm swept through the Tumfure area of Gombe metropolis on Saturday, causing widespread destruction to buildings, electric poles, and rooftops. Among the affected structures was the ECWA Good News Reservoir church, whose roof was completely blown off by the storm.
Eyewitnesses described the incident as devastating, as victims counted their losses while sympathisers assisted in clearing debris.
The Minister-in-Charge of the church, Rev. Ephraim Buba, told The Guardian yesterday that the church was in session when the storm hit, but no lives were lost. “We accept this as an act of God, but we appeal to the state government and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to come to our aid and help us fix the destruction,” he said.
Fatima Mohammed, another victim whose house was severely damaged, expressed gratitude that her children were rescued unharmed despite the intensity of the windstorm.
The Executive Secretary of SEMA, Haruna Abdullahi, confirmed that the agency received the report on Saturday night. He assured that an assessment visit to the affected area would be conducted on Monday to evaluate the damage.
