‘When I heard his voice screaming my name – it was in the early hours of that Tuesday morning – I knew something was wrong; something bad, something terrible was happening’.

Fatima Muktari was asleep when the September 10 floodwater started to rise rapidly in the Gwange ward in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State in Nigeria’s northeast.

The 38-year-old blind woman was terrified. She was woken by the screams and shouts of her brother who was calling her name – and she just knew “something terrible was about to happen”.

“When I heard his voice shouting and screaming my name after midnight – it was in the early hours of that Tuesday morning – I knew something was wrong; something bad, something terrible was happening,” said Fatima, who heads the Borno State chapter of the Nigerian Association of the Blind and is the joint leader of the Association of Persons with Disabilities in the state.

“It all happened so fast. As a blind person, I was very confused and did not realise the danger we were in. My brother grabbed my hand and led me outside to relative safety where community members in Gwange were helping women, children and the elderly who were struggling in the strong current of the water.

“Although I could not see the water, I could feel it swirling around me and it was making a loud gushing sound. I could see it in my imagination.

“I am in awe of community members who helped the vulnerable. Only people with empathy would think of others when their own lives were in danger.

“I could not believe how strong the current was. I never imagined it could be that strong. Even those who are not disabled were finding it difficult to move through the water. Some did not survive.

“I have never been so scared in my life. I really believed I was not going to make it out alive. All praises to Allah. I am still alive because it is his wish.”

Fatima said many blind people were missing. Some drowned and others were swept away by the floodwater.

“We do not know how many disabled people died in the flood. Two colleagues drowned because they had no one to help them.

“We went to the house of a relative where, despite the hardship caused by the flood, we received a warm welcome. We stayed there for more than three weeks.

“Later, when we went to check on our home in Gwange, we discovered mostly mass destruction. Thanks to Allah, our house is habitable. We are still carrying out repairs and trying to get rid of all the sand. Everything is covered in deep sand that was carried in the floodwater. It will take time to repair everything.”

Fatima said she was concerned for blind people who had children.

“It was extremely difficult for them. As blind people, they were unable to see what was happening and they could not guide their children to safety. They could not protect their kids. Some good Samaritans picked up the children, put them on their shoulders and carried them to safety. Unfortunately, some blind people lost their kids.”

Fatima told RNI that they had received no help from the Borno State government but hoped they would get assistance soon.

“We received help from some non-governmental organisations [NGOs] and we are expecting sister organisations for the disabled to help us too, although that has not happened yet.”

Bilyaminu Usman, vice-chairman of the Borno State chapter of the Joint Association of Persons with Disabilities, said: “I live in the Gwange ward of the metropolis. The area was badly flooded with many parts submerged. It was an extremely tough time for those of us with disabilities.

“The chairman of the association was asleep. About 1am on September 10, youths in the area knocked loudly on his door. They told him it was starting to flood and informed him about which areas were in danger. They cautioned him to vacate his home and get to somewhere safer.

“Unfortunately, it was all a bit chaotic and people were panicking so he got separated from his family. The people who came to his rescue took him to a different location. It took days before they were reunited.”

Usman told RNI there were five disabled people in his house.

“Initially, we did not think the floodwater would reach us so we were in no rush to leave. But then we realised the water was rising fast and, luckily, we were able to get to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital where we stayed for hours. We are all crippled and we were sitting together when we realised water was beginning to flood the hospital.

“Nine youths saw us and came to our rescue. They carried each of us – with our modified tricycles – through the water.

“At that stage, I had no idea where my family was. Only days later I was told my brother had taken them to a safe location.

“The youths took us to the Tashan Bama area of Maiduguri where we stayed for three days. We were told that the water had subsided a bit and there were areas that were habitable so we went back and stayed at the school in Gwange 1.

“It was only much later that we discovered that three disabled people were missing from the community. We are sure they were swept away in the floodwater. Their house in Durimari, behind the Shehu’s palace, was submerged. We have not been able to find them. No one has seen them. We suspect they drowned.

“The current of the water was so strong that even people who were not disabled drowned.

“A woman at Gomari Costin told us that the water was up to her neck. If youths in the area had not helped her, she would have drowned.

“While we were at Tashan Bama, displaced persons received food and clothing. But by the time handicapped people went for help, everything had been taken.

“The relief distribution process was very disorganised. Only the strong benefited. Many of the women, children, the elderly, displaced and disabled persons lost out. We waited for more than 24 hours with no food or water. No one bothered to help us. No one cared.”

Usman said it was only after the chairman of the association posted messages about their plight on social media that they received relief materials.

“Most of us have returned home, but we still have colleagues who are staying in camps for displaced persons because their houses were destroyed. Many houses were marked for demolition.

“The flood is over but its devastating impact remains. And it will last for many years to come,” Usman said.

AYSHA MUSTAPHA KOLOMI