Following devastating floods in the Nigerian town of Mokwa on Thursday, the confirmed death toll has tragically risen to over 200, according to official reports.
An additional 500 individuals remain missing in the central Niger State. Local official Musa Kimboku informed the BBC that rescue operations have been suspended, as authorities believe no survivors remain.
These floods, described as the most severe in the region in six decades, ravaged the Mokwa districts of Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa after torrential downpours.
To mitigate the risk of disease outbreaks, authorities plan to commence the exhumation of bodies buried in the affected areas, Mokwa’s district head Muhammadu Aliyu stated.
Recounting harrowing scenes of destruction, local residents shared accounts with the BBC, describing how their homes and loved ones were swept away.
One resident, Adamu Yusuf, recounted the heartbreaking loss of his wife and newborn child. “I helplessly watched the water carry away my family. My swimming ability was the only reason I survived,” he told the BBC.
Another resident, Saliu Sulaiman, reported that the floods rendered him homeless and wiped out a portion of his small business earnings. “I lost at least $1,500—profits from the previous day’s farm sales. I considered retrieving it but was deterred by the intense floodwaters.”
While some locals suggest a nearby dam’s failure exacerbated the flooding, authorities haven’t yet confirmed this.
The sheer force of the floodwaters was such that bodies were discovered in Rabba, a town approximately an hour’s drive from Mokwa.
Mokwa’s Deputy Vice-Chairman Musa Kimboku stated that neighboring villages were instructed to bury any recovered remains.
District head Mr. Aliyu noted that some bodies remained unrecoverable, having been carried away by the River Niger.
On Sunday, the National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) announced the commencement of relief efforts for the affected population.
The agency detailed in a Facebook post that infrastructure damage, including roads and bridges, has severely impacted the local economy and transportation.
The Nigerian Red Cross also issued a statement on Friday, highlighting the devastating loss of life and widespread suffering caused by the floods.
While flooding is not unusual during Nigeria’s rainy season (April to October), the scale of this year’s devastation is unprecedented in recent memory.
Severe flooding in 2024 resulted in significant casualties and displacement. Similarly, the 2022 floods claimed over 600 lives and left 1.3 million people homeless.
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