INTERNATIONAL NEWS SYNDICATE

BY: ADAMU ALIYU NGULDE, MAIDUGURI MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — At least 10 people have drowned in separate incidents in Gombe and Borno states, northeast Nigeria, after heavy rains swelled rivers beyond their banks, officials and residents said Friday. In Gombe State, six young men were swept away in Dadin Kowa while attempting to cross or swim in the swollen river. Community members and emergency workers later recovered the bodies. “They underestimated the force of the water,” said a community leader in Dadin Kowa. “The current was too strong. Before we knew it, they were gone.” In neighboring Borno State, four people drowned in Kwaya Kusar when floodwaters from a nearby river surged into low-lying areas, residents said. Local authorities confirmed the deaths and warned of further risks as rains continue. Northeastern Nigeria has seen heavier-than-usual rainfall this season, raising concerns about flooding, river overflows and displacement across several communities. “This is a tr...

BY: ADAMU ALIYU NGULDE, MAIDUGURI MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — When Boko Haram fighters stormed her village years ago, Yagana Abana gathered what little she could carry and ran. She left behind her home in Molgwai, a farming settlement in Damboa Local Government Area, and never returned. Like thousands of others fleeing the Islamist insurgency, she found refuge in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, where she tried to rebuild her life in a modest house. But the city she hoped would give her safety has now delivered another blow. Last year’s floods swallowed her home, leaving the 70-year-old once again without shelter. She now squats in a neighbor’s small compound in Gwange, opposite Zara Plaza, where mats spread across the floor are the only comfort she and others share. “I lost everything once to Boko Haram, and now I have lost again to the flood,” she said, her voice breaking as she described watching the waters rise around her. “All I want is a place to sleep and food to eat ...