How fire disaster razed down community in Jigawa

Tragedy struck last Tuesday following an inferno that turned silent community of Barebari in Ringim local government area of Jigawa state to rubbles.

The most consoling part of the tales of the disaster was no life was lost.

The Barebari community, which has a population of about 1,000 people went to sleep without any idea of what would befell them the following morning.

However, at around 11am, there were cries of despair as residents of the community were heard running helter skelter, calling for help over the rampaging fire that engulfed the village.

The fire disaster razed down over 150 houses, the Chronicle gathered.

The conflagration, the cause of which source said it was yet to be ascertained, was fuelled by the thatch houses which formed more than half of the affected community.

All efforts to put the fire under control by the locals failed as there was no enough water to quench it as the two available boreholes could not serve the purpose.

Even some of the mud houses that could ordinarily obstruct the rampaging fire were not spared.

The inferno was only put under control by the combined efforts of the officials of the state Fire Service Department and good Samaritans, after it had destroyed everything it came into contact.

It was a monumental disaster for the residents, whom were seen scavenging over the remains of what was left of their personal belongings.

When our reporter visited the village, the victims, particularly women and children, were seen in groups lamenting over their loses.

Most of the victims, were thankful to God, for sparing their lives particularly, looking at the gravity of the destruction.

Malama Amina Salisu, a victim of the disaster, said she lost all her belongings to the fire.

Amina, who could not control emotion, told our reporter while sobbing that beside what she was wearing she had no any other clothing left.

“I’ve lost everything. I have nothing to wear apart from the one I am putting on. My beddings, kitchen utensils and other personal effects that you can think of are gone in the fire disaster.”

As she weeps she added, “we thank Allah for it was His will that this calamity befell our people.

“The fire has destroyed about 10 stores of grain. Though, locally made food stores but they were full to the brim as the food was stored for all the year through.

“Had the fire outbreak occurred in the night, it would have been a different story by now because lives might have been lost.”

A divorcee, Lami Sulaiman, also said that she lost all her belongings, that she had just parked from the house of her former husband, to the fire.

Anaother victim, Malam Zakari Ya’u, said his entire compound that comprised six smaller houses, were razed down by the fire.

He lamented on how he lost all his properties including, those of his wives and children.

He said the entire town had only two functional boreholes that were not sufficient to quench the fire.

According to him, the fire was said to have started at a house made of thatch while the occupants were allegedly cooking the early morning meal, saying the fire went out of hand following the early morning windy atmosphere.

He added that, though no life was lost, but domestic animals, includig sheep, goats and chickens were burnt.

Also speaking to Chronicle, the Village Head of Barebari, Malam Abdu Umar, attributed the fire outbreak to the will of God, which he said could not be questioned.

He said, all efforts by the people of his community to salvage the situation by mobilizing others from their neighbouring communities, could not yield any fruitful result as the fire overwhelmed them.

The village head, said succour had since started coming the way of the victims as his community had received assistance of food items from well-meaning individuals and government.

He said, they had already received a donation of 70 bags of grains and a pledge of 100 bags of rice and a sum of N500,000.

The Executive Secretary of Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Sani Yusuf Babura, who confirmed the incident, said 45 compounds, with each housing many smaller households, were affected by the inferno.

He added that his agency had also supported the victims with 30 bags of grains, mosquito nets, soaps, buckets, mattresses and utensils.