Mokwa Flood Claims 153 Lives, Displaces Thousands, NSEMA Reports

 Devastating floods in Mokwa, Niger State, have killed at least 153 people as of June 1, 2025, following torrential rains that began late Wednesday, May 28, and continued into Thursday, May 29. The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) confirmed the rising death toll after recovering additional bodies beneath a collapsed bridge in Mokwa, with burials conducted the same morning.

The disaster, affecting 3,018 individuals across 503 households, has displaced over 3,000 residents, destroyed 265 homes, and damaged three bridges, severely disrupting connectivity between northern and southwestern Nigeria. In Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa communities, floodwaters submerged entire neighborhoods, leaving roofs barely visible and residents wading waist-deep to salvage belongings.

The floods, exacerbated by prolonged rainfall and poor drainage, caught residents unprepared, with many, like yam vendor Sabuwar Bala, escaping with only the clothes they wore. A mosque collapse trapped an unknown number of travelers, complicating rescue efforts led by NSEMA, NEMA, and the Red Cross. Eleven people are reported injured, with 121 hospitalized.

President Bola Tinubu activated the national emergency response center, deploying security forces to aid rescue operations. Local leaders, including Mokwa’s Jibril Muregi, called for urgent flood-control infrastructure, noting the disaster’s unprecedented scale. Residents like Mohammed Tanko, who lost 15 family members, and Kaka Dazana, who lost four children, expressed grief and frustration over delayed warnings.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency’s prior alert for flash floods in 15 states, including Niger, underscores climate change’s role in intensifying Nigeria’s annual flooding, which killed 321 people in 2024. Relief efforts continue, with NEMA distributing aid to displaced persons in camps, though survivors demand faster government action.