Bajoga Flood: My daughter in Bauchi hospital needs N500,000 for treatment, says Woman whose son was covered by mud wall
Fatima Ibrahim of Anguwa Wakili mazara in Bajoga, Funakaye Local Government of Gombe State, shares the pains of losing her last child to devastating effects of Saturday rainfall with Chima Azubuike
Can you introduce yourself? I’m a 30 years old petty trader, I engage in selling tomatoes. I’m the mother of the three-year-old boy that died from the collapse of a mud building due to flood in Bajoga, Funakaye Local Government.
How many children do you have? I used to have six children with my current loss I now have five of them.
What was his name? Muhammadu Babangida and he was aged three.
What will you miss about Babangida? Everything positive, I will miss the joy I shared as his mother, the love I felt from his personality as young as he was he was very unique as a child, he was healthy and lively. He was my last child but he had a sweet and endearing personality. Some of his siblings were not very free to make choices or to express themselves but Babangida always knew what he wanted and he got it. He didn’t behave like a last born, he was not all clingy but was independently minded for his age. He was very cheerful and obedient.
What fond memories will you miss?
He had good appetite for food, he was not too selective. His favourite was noodle he ate that with so much delight. I will miss the memories like seeing him play football, as young as he was he loved to play with ball and he enjoyed seeing people especially adults play football within the are. Some of our neighbours usually talk about the smiles that radiates on his face while watching them play.
How did Babangida’s death occur? Exactly at about 5am on Saturday morning, the rain began to fall but it became very heavy around 7am. Suddenly, the wall of our kitchen area fell on three of them, two others Hussaina and Hajara survived with various degrees of injuries. While Hussaina sustained injuries around the head region, Hajara was hurt around her legs. Babangida passed on immediately due to the intensity of the mud wall on him. The two are recuperating; Hajara, I adopted her due to circumstances in her home, she is home where she is nursing injuries from the collapsed building and the other one Hussaina Ibrahim, my daughter is now on admission in Abubakar Tafa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi where she is been treated.
Why did you allow the children to come out while the rain was falling? Where the wall collapsed is the kitchen area. The other side is where we sleep and water was coming into the room and I was busy packing water with bucket that flooded inside the room and they (children) had to excuse me in order to concentrate in emptying the room of water. However, at some point they began to assist in packing the water, it was at the point when they carried water towards the kitchen area, in a bid to empty the bucket that the wall fell. Honestly, I can’t recall the exact time it collapsed, when I came close I began to find them inside the rumble. The mud wall covered them entirely.
Any plans to demolish the rest of the building? No such plans for now, our attention at the moment is to raise fund to treat my daughter, Hussaina Ibrahim who is currently in the hospital. We built the building using clay and it has been about 15 -20 years now since it was erected. Subsequently, we will decide on what next to do the rest of the structure.
Didn’t the building show visible sign of crack?
It just this raining season that I saw a visible crack on the building but prior to this time there was nothing wrong with the mud building. We never imagined that it will come to the extent collapsing soon. As you know there is no how we will be comfortable to reside in building that would constitute risk to I and the children.
Were you able to take Babangida to the hospital for doctor’s confirmation? Yes, we did our first point of call was General Hospital Bajoga, that was where we admitted them. When we got to the hospital they confirmed him lifeless, treated Hajara and then referred Hussaina to Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe due to the severity of her case.
How come she is still in the hospital?
Hussaina’s case was said by doctors to be very critical, she used her head to break a pot. This is my cooking pot which we used to cook meal you can see the way it is broken it as a result of her fall. Hussaina sustained injuries around her head it very serious. Doctors claimed that it could affect her brain.
Why the transfer from FTH Gombe to Bauchi despite the distance? We thought so too especially as it relates to the distance because she lost so much blood. However, it was after so much delay at Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe, that the doctors there came out straight that they can’t handle her case. We then took her to Abubakar Tafa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi as directed by those in FTH Gombe. But we need about N500,000 to commence treatment in Bauchi, we have only been able to raise just about N50,000 from contributions from family and friends.
What about your husband, what does he do and where was he when the incident happened? He is a carpenter, he was in the mosque for prayers, this was before the rain became very heavy.
How did your husband feel when he heard about the devastation of the flood from the mosque? My husband met us at General hospital Bajoga. He felt bad, as a father I’m certain that he didn’t expect it. Someone that woke up with us before leaving for mosque to say prayers only to be told to come to the hospital that his last child had died and others receiving medical attention.
How do you feel about this tragic occurrence? I feel very bad, I’m not happy. It can be really sad losing a loved one in a very painful way. It never crossed my mind at any time that Babangida would be lost in such a tragic way, there was no such premonition due to how strong and healthy he was not to mention that we will loss him following collapse of wall induced by flood. The joy of every mother is usually after taking care of your children and they attain adulthood that they would in turn shower you with great love. No parents would be happy to bury a child that is still growing but God knows best.
Read Also:
JUST IN: Flood wreaks havoc in Gombe community
Has there been issue of flood in Bajoga? Yes, especially Anguwa Wakili mazara, Bajoga. The water flows from biyan gari. It has been a reoccurring situation but this year you can see it is has been much due to the number of casualties that it has caused. Over hundreds of homes have been affected by this year’s rain. The area is usually flooded due to the way they channelled the water, without recourse to dwellers around this neighbourhood. When it rains everywhere is usually flooded with water that if you are not careful you may not differentiate between the ground and drainage, it can be that bad.
What is your plea to Gombe State Government? I will be very grateful if the state government under Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya can come to our aid. No amount will bring about our son, but whatever that they can do to assist us we will be happy, such will go a long way to reduce our pain. I wish to appeal to the state governor to assist us in paying the bills of Hussaina, late Babangida’s sister whose fate is in a balance due to the way she fell with her head. Raising the requested sum by Bauchi hospital authorities has not been easy, we need help to save her from retardation. God forbid that I will have to bury two children from this disaster, so I need as much help as possible to treat her.
Recently, Governor Yahaya directed State Emergency Management Agency to provide succour to flood victims have you received any support so far? I heard the people that came were from the Government House, as well as chairman of Funakaye Local Government and some councillors visited the area but they didn’t get to our house. They only spoke from outside and so far no relief materials have been sent yet as directed by the governor. Today, is Monday and the sad occurrence happened on Saturday and the directive was given almost immediately but I’m yet to get any form of assistance yet.
Very good article. I definitely appreciate this website. Stick with it!