News
Eight buildings collapse as flood takes over Borno streets
Heavy rainfall in the early hours of Wednesday has collapsed eight buildings and displaced some residents in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.
Our correspondent gathered that the rain, which started around 6:15 am, lasted three hours, leading to the displacement of families in Bulumkutu, Abuja, Moduganari, Ngomari and other riverbank areas.
A resident of Bulumkutu, Ahmodu Ibrahim, told our correspondent that water flooded his apartment around 8 am before he ran out with his family.
“I started seeing water coming in after an hour of the rain. I immediately took my children and wife to a safe area,” he said.
A shop owner, Aisha Suraju, said her items were all damaged by the flood.
“My provisions, especially the ones on the floor, were all destroyed by the flood,” she said.
Meanwhile, the state police command said it has swung into action and mobilised its men for rescue operations across areas where buildings collapsed.
A statement by the spokesperson for the command, ASP Nahum Daso, said eight buildings collapsed due to the flooding.
The statement read, “In the wake of the heavy rainfall that affected parts of Maiduguri, Gomari, Bulumkutu, Jidari, ITE and others, the Borno State Police Command has swiftly carried out on-the-scene assessments and deployed patrol teams across the impacted areas.
“Unfortunately, eight buildings collapsed, but no casualties were recorded.
“To forestall any breakdown of law and order, the command has stationed officers at strategic locations to protect evacuated homes and properties from potential looting or criminal activities.”
The police spokesman said the Commissioner of Police, Naziru Abdulmaji, commended the swift response of the officers involved and called on residents to remain calm and law-abiding.
“He also urged parents and guardians to monitor their children closely and prevent them from playing in floodwaters, as such behavior poses serious risks to their safety,” he said.
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The Independent National Electoral Commission held a crucial stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday at its office in Babura, Jigawa State, as part of preparations for the upcoming by-election in the Babura/Garki Federal Constituency.
PUNCH Online reports that the by-election was necessitated by the death of the constituency’s representative, Isa Yaro, who passed away on May 10, 2024, at the age of 46.
To fill the vacant seat, the by-election has been scheduled by INEC for August 16, 2025.
Interest in the election is high, with the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party nominating Rabiu Mukhtar and Auwalu Manzo, respectively, as their candidates.
The meeting brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including security agencies, political party representatives, community leaders, and members of transport workers’ unions.
Speaking during the meeting, the Electoral Officer of Babura Local Government, Hafiz Khalid, outlined the schedule of election activities and emphasised the importance of cooperation and transparency at every stage.
According to him, the by-election is a collective responsibility that requires the active participation and support of all stakeholders.
Khalid described the meeting as a platform for stakeholders to contribute meaningfully to the success of the electoral process and urged everyone present to work together to ensure a peaceful, free, fair, and credible election.
Stakeholders at the meeting made valuable contributions and raised critical questions aimed at enhancing the credibility and smooth conduct of the electoral process.
Logistics, security, voter sensitisation, and the conduct of political parties were among the key issues discussed during the two-hour meeting.
In his remarks, the District Head of Babura, Alhaji Muhd Mustapha, who was present at the meeting, expressed his commitment to supporting INEC and ensuring a peaceful election.
“We will work with INEC to ensure that the by-election is successful,” he said.
Also speaking after the meeting, Nura Abubakar, a representative of a community-based organisation, expressed confidence in INEC’s capacity to deliver a credible process.
“We are optimistic that INEC will do the needful and ensure that the by-election is free and fair,” he said.
Another stakeholder, Haruna Aminu of the National Association of Road Transport Owners, said:
“We are educated on the task ahead of us and the contribution expected from us in the electoral process,” he said.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment from all stakeholders to work in synergy to ensure the by-election’s success. Participants pledged to support INEC’s efforts in delivering a peaceful and credible exercise.
Representatives of security agencies also assured of their readiness to provide adequate security.
“We will ensure that the election is peaceful and secure,” said one security officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
He added, “The meeting was successful as INEC showed its level of commitment to transparency and accountability in the forthcoming electoral process. INEC officials assured us in front of all stakeholders that all necessary measures would be taken to ensure a credible election.”
The Babura/Garki by-election is shaping up to be a closely contested race, with multiple political parties vying to fill the vacant seat.
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The Oyo State government has expressed its plans to embark on a digital address system for street and house numbering across the state.
The Commissioner for Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Mr. Williams Funmilayo, made the disclosure on Wednesday at a meeting with Smart City Development Konsult Limited, held at the ministry’s conference room.
He said that the plan is part of Governor Seyi Makinde’s Omititun 2.0 Sustainable Development Goals, saying the project is part of the promise made by the Governor.
Akin-funmilayo maintained that the presentation made by the Smart City Development Consult is part of the preliminary stage that would lead to the presentation to the exco level.
He explained that when the project is eventually implemented, it would ensure easy identification, the location of buildings, and an emergency response for the state.
He said, “As the saying goes, a promise made is a promise kept. His Excellency, in his Omituntun 2.0 Roadmap to Sustainable Development, made several promises. One of the tasks that falls under the purview of the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development is house numbering. Out of all the promises made, which serve as a covenant between His Excellency and the good people of Oyo State, house numbering stands out, and we, his lieutenants, are doing all we can to ensure its actualisation.
“House numbering involves assigning a unique number to every building. The importance of this exercise cannot be overemphasised. Among its numerous benefits, it helps in easy identification and location of buildings. More importantly, it plays a crucial role in emergency response, be it fire outbreaks or health emergencies requiring an ambulance.
“Without house numbers, how would emergency responders locate the building? It becomes a case of confusion, repeated calls, and potentially fatal delays. We all understand how critical time is during emergencies. Delays could lead to the loss of properties or, worse, lives. If fire services or ambulances cannot locate the right building on time, the consequences could be tragic.
“These, among many other reasons, are why we are committed to this house numbering project. Although this administration has less than two years remaining, we believe it is essential to start the process before we leave the office. The commissioner for budget and Economy planning, Prof. Musibau Babatunde and I have discussed this move with the Governor, and he has given his support. So this presentation is part of the preliminary of what we have to do before pushing it out to the executive council level,” he added.
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US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Israel on Thursday to discuss ways to end the crisis in Gaza, where nearly 22 months of grinding war and dire shortages of food have drawn mounting international criticism.
Gaza’s civil defence agency reported dozens of Palestinians killed late Wednesday when Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd attempting to block an aid convoy — the latest in a spate of near-daily incidents of desperate aid seekers being shot.
The Israeli military confirmed having fired “warning shots” as Gazans gathered around aid trucks, but said it had no knowledge of casualties in the incident. An AFP correspondent saw the bullet-riddled corpses of Palestinians in Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital.
Jameel Ashour, who lost a relative in the shooting, told AFP at the overflowing morgue that Israel troops had opened fire after a crowd surged towards the convoy.
“When people saw thieves stealing and dropping food, the hungry crowd rushed in hopes of getting some,” he said.
With indirect ceasefire and hostage release negotiations between Hamas and Israel at an impasse, Witkoff will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss humanitarian aid and the “next steps” on Gaza.
He may also visit a US-backed humanitarian group distributing food in Gaza, according to Israeli reports.
Witkoff has been the top US representative in indirect ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, but the discussions broke down last week when Israel and the United States recalled their delegations from Doha.
Israel is under mounting international pressure to agree a ceasefire and allow the world to flood a hungry Gaza with food, with Canada the latest Western country to announce plans to recognise a Palestinian state.
– MAGA doubts –
Trump has been Israel’s staunchest international defender at a time when concerns about the campaign in Gaza have left Netanyahu increasingly isolated on the world stage, but the two leaders have occasionally found themselves at odds of late.
Earlier this week Trump promised to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza, warning that the territory faces “real starvation” — directly contradicting Netanyahu’s insistence that reports of hunger were exaggerated.
UN-backed experts, meanwhile, have reported “famine is now unfolding” in Gaza, with news images of sick and emaciated children drawing outrage and powers like France, the UK and now Canada lining up to support Palestinian statehood.
Trump is now reportedly concerned that his most fervent domestic US supporters, the so-called “MAGA base”, are turning against Israel.
Israel is also under pressure to resolve the crisis from other traditional supporters.
Germany’s top diplomat Johann Wadephul was expected in Jerusalem on Thursday for talks with Netanyahu and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.
– ‘Warning shots’ –
In Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney warned that the worsening suffering of civilians in Gaza left “no room for delay in coordinated international action to support peace”.
Israel blasted Canada’s announcement as part of a “distorted campaign of international pressure”, while Trump warned that trade negotiations with Ottawa could be hurt by what Washington regards as a premature bid to back Palestine.
The fighting in Gaza has lasted for almost 22 months, triggered by Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which left 1,219 people dead, according to a tally based on official figures.
Of the 251 Israelis kidnapped that day, 49 are still held in Gaza, 27 of them declared dead by the Israeli military.
The Israeli campaign has since killed 60,249 Palestinians, according to a tally from the Hamas government’s health ministry, and this week UN aid agencies warned that deaths from starvation had begun.
In the incident Wednesday night, Gaza’s civil defence agency said gunfire killed at least 58 people in a crowd gathered around a humanitarian aid convoy in the north of the territory.
According to an AFP correspondent and witnesses, the trucks had entered Gaza through the Israeli military checkpoint at Zikim, on their way to World Central Kitchen and the World Food Programme warehouses in Gaza City.
Thousands of people rushed to stop the trucks before they continued to the warehouses, and shooting erupted.
Separately, the Hamas-led Gaza government’s health ministry issued a statement Thursday begging Palestinians not to loot a new aid convoy, warning that it contained no food but instead medical supplies for the territory’s hard-pressed hospitals.
Another 32 people were reported killed by the civil defence on Thursday in Israeli attacks across Gaza.
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing many areas mean AFP cannot independently verify tolls and details provided by the civil defence and other parties.
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