Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, yesterday visited the scenes of the devastating flood in Yola, where he commiserated with victims and assessed the level of destruction.

The flood, which occurred on Saturday night through Sunday morning as a result of a torrential downpour led to the tragic loss of 25 lives, while over 60 people were unaccounted for with the destruction of property worth millions of naira.

Addressing victims upon his arrival to the State at the temporary camp at Aliyu Mustafa College Yola, after inspecting several affected areas, Governor Fintiri announced that the state government will establish a technical committee to assess the extent of the damage.

While describing the situation as tragic and devastating, the governor sympathized with families who lost loved ones and property, assuring them that the government would support efforts to rebuild and relocate their homes.

He said: “We will constitute a technical committee to carry out a thorough assessment in collaboration with the State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

From there, we will take the necessary steps.” Fintiri also condemned individuals who, without a proper understanding of the situation, spread mis-information for political or selfish reasons.

According to him, the primary causes of the flooding were the heavy rainfall that blocked water channels and storm water drainage systems, which prevented the runoff from flowing into the river.

The governor was accompanied on the inspection tour by his Deputy, Professor Kaletapwa Farauta; Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Bathiya Wesley; Secretary to the State Government, Awwal Tukur; and other top government officials.