The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA) have launched a joint search-and-rescue operation for two people swept away by floodwaters in the Kaduna River following heavy rainfall in the state.
The operation, which began early Sunday, involves personnel from the Kaduna State Fire Service, local divers, and other emergency responders, and is focused on the Hayin Mallam Bello community in the Kaduna South Local Government Area.
The victims were reportedly carried away on Saturday evening while attempting to cross the swollen river after downpours across parts of Kaduna metropolis.
Head of NEMA Operations Office in Kaduna, Hajiya Halima Suleiman, said the agency immediately activated its emergency response team upon receiving a distress call.
According to her, emergency personnel and local divers searched the river for several hours, but the victims had not been found as of the time of filing this report.
The missing persons were identified as 27-year-old Musa Musa Bawa, a 200-level student of the College of Nursing, Tudun Wada, and 25-year-old Abubakar Ibrahim Muhammad Likoro, an employee of Olam Flour Mills, Kaduna.
Suleiman assured residents that the search operation would continue until the victims are located.
“We will continue the search operation until the missing persons are found. NEMA, in collaboration with other emergency response agencies, remains committed to sustaining the operation until its objective is achieved,” she said.
She commended emergency personnel and local volunteers for their dedication and resilience throughout the rescue mission.
The NEMA official also disclosed that she visited the families of the missing persons to convey the agency’s sympathy and encourage them to remain hopeful.
Suleiman urged residents to avoid crossing flooded rivers, streams and drainage channels during and after heavy rainfall, stressing the importance of promptly reporting emergencies to relevant authorities for swift intervention.
She added that NEMA would intensify public awareness campaigns on flood safety to reduce drowning incidents and other flood-related disasters.1T
