x

Three kids escape death as landslide swallows house, cuts off A’Ibom community

By Samuel Ogenyi, Uyo

Three children  on Sunday escaped death by the whiskers in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, following a landslide which swallowed a kitchen and cuts off Asutan street into two halves.

The children ,Aisha Umaru 9,Yusuf Ibrahim,6 and Fatima Ibrahim 5, had barely left the kitchen after preparing their evening meals when the landslide occurred at about 8pm.

Speaking with newsmen in Uyo on Monday,. the landlord of the affected house, located at no 16 Asutan street, Uyo.Mr Francis Ikpe, described the landslide as devastating, adding that it was a miraculous escape for the children.

“It was a devastating experience.Three children were preparing their meals in the kitchen. After they left the kitchen, it was not even up to five minutes, when the kitchen collapsed.

“The children were eating when suddenly there was a bang and the kitchen and everything inside it buried. They would have been trapped; it was a miracle”. Ikpe said.

The landlord said the community had been living with the erosion for the past 30 years, adding that the dimension was not as disastrous was it turned out to be now.

He said the problem became serious when the state government decided to embark on street repairs and construction of drainages,saying water from six adjoining streets had been channeled to the place without a chamber constructed to receive the volume of water

“Iam the landlord of no 16, Asutan street, the compound that is badly threatened by the erosion.We have lived with the erosion for more than 30 years, the dimension was not as disatrous as it is now.

“But when the state government decided to embark on massive streets repairs and drainages, water from the six adjoining streets, including barracks road, have been diverted to the place and no chamber was done to receive the water.

“A lot of damage has been caused to that place. Whenever it rains the volume of water increases and this has been posing threats to lives and properties” he said.

On relocation order by the state government, Ikpe said ” I just heard that a surveyor came here.and address is sometimes ago. He brought a document purported to have been written by the state government in 2011, but no landlord has ever seen that document and there is indication that the landlords acknowledged receipt of the document”the landlord said.

But the commissioner of Environment,.Mr Charles Udoh in a chat with newsmen implored residents of the area to relocate urgently to avoid disaster.

Udoh further stated that government is taking steps to help them relocate to safer location and would come up with an effective drainage system to combart the menace.

Hot this week

Editors Urge Government To Create Safe, Enabling Environment For Journalists

· Ask security agents to find missing Vanguard journalistAs...

EXCLUSIVE: Buhari orders probe of Isa Funtua, AMCON over keystone and Etisalat

Following the controversy generated by the leading opposition party,...

6 Signs your boyfriend thinks you are ugly -Take note of No. 2

They say there are three kinds of people; the...

2023: South-East, Middle Belt Forum Endorses Peter Obi

The South-East and Middle Belt Forum has endorsed the...

Ango Resumes, Charges Agric Secretariat Workers to Buckle Up for Work

By Joyce Remi-BabayejuAs the Mandate Secretary of the Agriculture...

A’Ibom HIV/AIDS Anti-Stigma Bill awaiting Governor’s assent –

By Ogenyi Ogenyi,UyoA Bill aimed at protecting people living...

Twelve Years of APC March and a Loyal Soldier: The Story of Elton Onwu

By Emameh GabrielThere are politicians, and then there are...

Groups hail Kyari’s NNPCL achievements, dismiss ‘politically-engineered protests’

Coalition Of Civil Society Organisations In Nigeria (COCSON) and...

Wike To Summon Area Council Chairmen Over Non – Payment of Teachers Salaries

By Joyce Remi-BabayejuThe FCT Minister, Barr. Nysome Wike on...

Why Delta Governor, Oborevwori, other stakeholders, defect to APC 

By Anne Azuka In a massive political realignment that reverberated...

OPSH foils attack on Teegbe village of Bassa LGA , neutralises armed robbers in Plateau

By Isreal Adamu,Jos Troops of Operation Safe Haven  deployed to...
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img