At least 151 people have died following catastrophic flooding in Nigeria, according to the local emergency agency, as rescue teams continue to search for more victims.
The death toll surged after bodies were discovered nearly 10 kilometers from Mokwa, a key market town in Niger State—one of the hardest-hit areas by the flash floods.
Spokesman Ibrahim Audu Husseini from the Niger State Emergency Management Agency warned that the number of casualties may climb further, with several bodies carried away by the Niger River.
Mokwa experienced heavy rainfall from Wednesday night through Thursday, leading to the displacement of over 3,000 people, Husseini confirmed.
According to Gideon Adamu, head of the Red Cross in Niger State, 121 people are currently hospitalized, while more than 100 remain unaccounted for.
Floods Displace Thousands and Destroy Infrastructure
Located west of the capital, Abuja, Mokwa is a major hub for trade and transportation, where farmers from northern Nigeria sell goods like beans and onions to southern traders.
At least 500 households across three neighborhoods were impacted by the rapid flooding, which intensified within just five hours. Water levels rose so high that only rooftops were visible, and survivors waded through waist-deep waters in efforts to save belongings and assist others.
Husseini noted that two roads were washed away and two bridges collapsed due to the floods.
Nigeria’s rainy season, typically lasting six months, has only just begun. However, the region has already seen severe weather patterns, worsened by climate change, which brings heavy rains and prolonged dry periods. These extremes often result in devastating floods due to poor infrastructure.
Flooding claims hundreds of lives annually in Nigeria, affecting nearly every region of the country.
Desperate Search for the Missing
Local residents continue to search for loved ones, with some families reporting up to a dozen missing individuals.
“We won’t stop looking while families are still grieving,” said the Red Cross’s Gideon Adamu. “If any bodies were swept away by the water, we expect to find them near farmland on the Jebba side.”
Husseini added that excavators would be needed to retrieve bodies possibly trapped under debris.
President Bola Tinubu announced the launch of an emergency response to aid those affected and speed up recovery efforts.
“Relief items and temporary shelters are being sent out immediately,” the president stated, assuring citizens that “no Nigerian impacted will be forgotten or ignored.”
In 2024 alone, floods resulted in the deaths of 321 people across 34 of Nigeria’s 36 states, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
