At least 117 have been confirmed killed and some others are still missing following heavy rain that caused devastating flood in Nigeria’s Niger State in the center, local officials said on Friday.
The Mokwa town was the worst affected, after heavy rain from Wednesday night to Thursday morning caused extensive flooding. Rescue operations continue, according to Ibrahim Audu Hussein, Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) spokesman.
Initial reports on Thursday cited 21 casualties, but by Friday, the number had surged significantly. NSEMA Director Ibrahim Hussaini stated that around 3,000 homes were submerged across two communities, and many of the recovered bodies were found downstream in the River Niger.
“We’ve retrieved 115 bodies so far, and more are being discovered as search efforts continue,” Hussaini said, warning that the toll is likely to rise further.
Flooding in Nigeria’s yearly rainy season is not unusual, but this week’s experience is one of the deadliest within recent years. In 2022, more than 600 people lost their lives and 1.4 million were displaced by the nation’s worst flooding in more than a decade.
Mokwa, located approximately 220 kilometers west of Abuja, is an important commercial center linking farmers in the north to markets. Because it lies close to the River Niger, the area is particularly susceptible to flooding.
Videos posted on the internet captured inundated neighborhoods, rooftops floating just above water, and residents trudging through waist-deep water in rescue operations. Local council chairman Jibril Muregi attributed poor infrastructure for exacerbating the disaster and called upon the federal government to speed up long- lingering climate resilience projects, such as enhanced drainage systems.
It is said by authorities that shifting weather patterns associated with global warming are making Nigeria’s flood woes worse, especially in poor low-lying and riverine areas such as Mokwa. Rescue and relief operations continue as the government prepares for additional rainfall.
