No fewer than 300 households and property worth millions of naira have been destroyed by windstorms in the Ikot Otu and Ikot Ekpene Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State.
In a picture sent to our correspondent, the windstorm removed rooftops and brought down walls of buildings in the affected communities.
When contacted, the Head of Operations, National Emergency Management Agency, Uyo, Aisueni Mmandu, confirmed the incident to our correspondent.
Mmandu said some of the victims have been lodged with their relatives, while others are lodged in churches.
She added that the government has intervened to repair the destroyed houses.
“The incident is true. Some are staying with their relatives, some are staying in churches, and the government has swung in to see how they can fix the houses that were partially destroyed so they can get back to their houses.
“For the houses that were destroyed, the government is ensuring that they empower the people to get their houses.”
Also, according to a post on the official X handle of NEMA on Thursday, an on-the-spot assessment was conducted by representatives of NEMA Uyo to ascertain the extent of the damage and determine the necessary measures to mitigate the impact of the windstorm disaster.
It added that the majority of the victims experienced homelessness, unemployment, and disruption of their means of subsistence as a result of the disaster, which destroyed or damaged homes, residential properties, schools, factories, farmlands, and economic trees.
The statement partly read, “Officials of the NEMA Uyo Operations led by the acting Head, in collaboration with Akwa Ibom SEMA official Isaac Umanna and community leaders, visited the scene of the incident for an on-the-spot assessment to determine the extent of the damage and identify the requirements to help cushion the effect of the windstorm disaster.
“The incident destroyed or affected houses, household properties, worship centres, schools, factories, farmlands, and economic trees, rendering most of the victims homeless, jobless, and their economic livelihoods disrupted.
“The windstorm affected over three hundred households (300).”