At least 100 people have been forced out of their homes and shops by rainstorms and flood in Ibesikpo Asutan LGA.
While they slept at night, the rains invaded their privacy and destroyed property worth millions of naira.

Residents of four communities in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom state have recounted their horrific experience during the rainstorm that ruined private and public property.

One of such prominent buildings affected is the legislative office of the local council authority.

The Chairman of the traders association in Ibesikpo Asutan, Jude Edet, said 75 traders were dislodged by the disaster.

“We have lost so much to Wednesday’s night rain.

“As at Thursday, by our inventory 75 shops were destroyed. If we want to estimate our lost, it is in millions", he said.

At the Brotherhood Secondary School, Ikot Ide Akpakpan, where the storm destroyed three classroom blocks, the principal, Comfort Ime Ekpo said, “When school resumes in May, there will be no place for the students to stay.”

She said one of the classroom blocks destroyed was a PTA project which was roofed just a week ago.

Some of the affected traders say they are willing to pay if the government will construct a modern market facility to reduce their suffering.

The Divisional Crime Officer in the local government, Dorathy Umoh, said the disaster is a security threat to the local government secretariat.

“The council is not safe. We don’t have enough security men. I have directed that some of the security men in the out-station be withdrawn to assist in beefing security at the council.

“We call on government to come to the aid of the council,” he said.

The chairman Ibesikpo Asutan transition committee, Ilana Udofia, while inspecting affected facilities said destruction caused by the storm cannot be fixed by the local government alone.

“The level of destruction here runs into hundreds of million. So it is beyond our capacity.

“Some people were injured, this is a sad period.

“It is not just the market, private homes in other communities were affected. We have never witnessed this in the history of this local government,” he said.

State authorities are yet to make a statement or react to the situation.