Umar Mohammed, public relations officer of Katsina State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), says two lives were lost and over 1,500 houses were affected by the heavy rainfall in three LGAs of the state. 

Mohammed told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Katsina on Wednesday that out of the 1500 houses affected, over 800 houses were in Faskari, 400 in Bindawa and 300 in Sabuwa LGAs.

He said the agency is already making efforts to assist families of the two victims who died from the heavy rainfall in Bindawa LGA.

The rain, which started around 10 am on Monday and stopped about 4 pm forced many motorists to abandon their vehicles.

Some of the residents of Katsina metropolis who spoke with NAN expressed worry over the flooding of some major streets owing to the downpour.

Many motorists driving along Kofar Kaura roundabout and some parts of the layout area of the metropolis were able to divert by using a single lane of the road to their various destinations.

Muhammad Safana, one of the motorists, described the situation as worrisome, saying the situation could worsen if the heavy rains continued.

“As you have seen, the rain has caused flooding, which filled some major roads in the city, looking for a route to pass, and also some houses were affected,” he said.

“As I was passing through the Tudun Katsira layout, some buildings were also affected due to the lack of proper drainage in the areas. Even those areas with the drainage are blocked by refuse, which obstructs the free flow of water during the rainy season,” he said.

Residents have called on the state government to take immediate measures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.