Image placeholder

WafricNews – June 1st, 2025

Mokwa, Niger State – Communities in central Nigeria are reeling from one of the deadliest floods in recent years, as local authorities confirmed that 151 lives have been lost in Mokwa, Niger State. Torrential rains swept through the area midweek, destroying homes, displacing thousands, and leaving families with nothing but memories.

According to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), 3,018 people have been displaced and at least 265 homes completely destroyed. Rescue teams continue to recover bodies — some found as far as 10 kilometers away from the worst-hit areas — while fears grow that many more victims remain unaccounted for.

"We lost everything — our families, our homes, even the land we stood on,” said Mohammed Tanko, a grieving resident. “In this house alone, we lost 15 people."


A Community Submerged and Shattered

WafricNews reporters on the ground in Mokwa described scenes of devastation. In once-bustling neighborhoods, only piles of debris and muddy water remain. Residents were seen digging through rubble, not just for belongings — but for the remains of their loved ones.

"I escaped with just my nightdress,” said one survivor. “Right now, I can’t even point to where our house used to be."

Emergency officials say some of the floodwaters originated upstream, with suspicions among locals that a dam or major water source may have burst — a claim yet to be confirmed by authorities.

"The water came in so fast, there was no time to evacuate," one community member told WafricNews.

Presidency Responds, But Anger Mounts

President Bola Tinubu has extended his condolences to the victims and directed that search-and-rescue operations be scaled up. Relief supplies and temporary shelters are reportedly being deployed to affected communities, with the Nigerian military and emergency responders aiding the response.

But for many survivors, government presence has come too late.

“We need more than condolences,” one resident said. “We need action, we need answers, and we need protection from this ever happening again.”

A Crisis Beyond Weather

Meteorologists warn that more rainfall is expected in the days ahead, raising the spectre of fresh flooding in vulnerable areas. Experts say this is no longer a seasonal nuisance — it's a national emergency tied to climate change, rapid urbanization, and policy failure.

“Flooding is no longer just a rainy season event,” said Dr. Ugonna Nkwunonwo, a flood risk analyst at the University of Nigeria. “Climate change has intensified the volume and unpredictability of rainfall. What should fall in a year, we now get in one or two months.”

Poor urban planning, blocked drainage systems, and unregulated construction along waterways have worsened the situation, despite years of warnings from environmental agencies.

Lessons Still Not Learned

Last year, over 1,200 people died and nearly 2 million were displaced in similar floods across Nigeria. Yet little has changed in terms of preventive action or enforcement.

“This tragedy is yet another reminder of the consequences of building on floodplains and ignoring environmental safeguards,” said the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in a statement.

The agency urged state governments and urban planners to urgently address infrastructure gaps and enforce environmental regulations.

For the people of Mokwa, however, the focus now is on survival and recovery — as they mourn the lost, search for the missing, and brace for what the skies may bring next.


By WafricNews Desk.

| Like

Comment


To post a comment, you have to login first
Login

No Comments Yet...