Hundreds of resident on Thursday hronged in Gashua central cemetery in Bade local government council in Yobe State to rehabilitate scores of graves which were overtaken by flood.
Kanem Trust gathered that about 650 graves were submerged while some caved in following a down pour on the town last weekend.
Sources, who spoke to our reporter, said many families were grieved as they saw buried corpses of their relatives ripped out of their resting places.
A grave digger, Saleh Audu, who said that although flood incidences had happened in the past, the recent one remained worst in history.
He said the graveyard which existed for the past 10 decades, housed great scholars, ancestors as well prominent sons and daughters of the town.
“What we normally see were some minor destructions that could be tamed within our limit. But it is disastrous this time around because about 700 graves collapsed.
“Many of us could not sleep on that day after we have seen the calamity with our eyes. It was bad experience seeing dead bodies floating in the water.
“The situation has forced us to seek for help from stakeholders, and entire members of the community.”
A resident, Yahaya Mato, said people’s minds were never at rest since the flood began at the cemetery.
“Although Yobe State government has swiftly responded as it commenced rehabilitation of the graveyard, community members have a significant role to play in ensuring the dilapidated graves are back in shape.
“We had to suspend our businesses for some time to pay our last respect to our love ones.
“Apart from the flood, we realised that termites and other insects had eaten up the wood laid on to buried bodies making it difficult to withstand the pressure of the sand that are on them.
“We replaced them with new ones and used sand to fill all the affected graves.
“Some were bringing sand, others were picking sticks, while some were on the graves filling sand.
“A proper channel was excavated to prevent water from entering into the main cemetery.
“As I speak to you now we have recovereed all the submerged graves with the help of the state government and traditional rulers.
“The Emir of Bade, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Suleiman had joined us throughout the exercise”
“The Senate President has equally sent his donation of building materials and so on.”
Another resident Nura Dalhatu Audu blamed the incident on the non challant attitude of some community members who throw debris into the gutters thereby blocking water ways which ignite flood.
However, some residents blamed the ongoing construction of township roads without drainages .
