What began as a night of long-awaited rainfall quickly turned into a tragedy of unimaginable scale in Mokwa, Niger State, after a devastating flood swept through the town and surrounding communities.
At first, it seemed like a blessing—farmers had welcomed the steady downpour, believing it would nourish their crops and mark a good planting season. But by dawn, the joy turned to sorrow as raging floodwaters overran homes, collapsed buildings, and washed away lives and livelihoods.
Entire families were caught off guard while asleep, with many unable to escape as rivers overflowed their banks. Among the worst-hit was the household of one Anas Usman, who lost 17 family members in the disaster.
By Thursday afternoon, emergency officials confirmed that the death toll had risen to 111. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the figure may rise as rescue operations continue.
The worst-hit areas included Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa in Mokwa town, where the flood not only displaced thousands but also destroyed critical infrastructure like roads and bridges—most notably the vital Mokwa Bridge linking Northern Nigeria with the Southwest.
“We were preparing to go to the farm in the morning when our house was suddenly submerged by floods. We did not know where the flood came from,” Usman told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
“The flood submerged our house, causing the structure to collapse. We lost children, women and men, who are family members,” he said.
Officials from both NEMA and the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) have been on ground coordinating rescue and recovery efforts. Farmlands, homes, and public structures have been swept away, leaving residents in shock and distress.
Motorists and travellers are stranded on both ends of the collapsed Mokwa Bridge. The collapse has cut off access between the northern and southwestern parts of the country, disrupting the movement of goods and people.
One of the stranded motorists, Awual Mohammed, said many travellers have been stuck since Thursday. “If the bridge is not fixed immediately, it will disrupt trade activities between the North and Southwest regions,” he said. He appealed to the government to urgently repair the bridge and create alternative routes to reduce the impact.
Niger State Deputy Governor Yakubu Garba visited the affected communities on behalf of Governor Umaru Bago to assess the situation. During the visit, he consoled displaced persons and assured them of government support.
“I have been briefed by officials from NEMA and NSEMA, who have been on ground since the incident occurred for search and rescue operations. I was told that over 100 people lost their lives and some are yet to be buried as search and rescue operations are still ongoing,” he stated.
While addressing victims at an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp, Garba urged patience, adding that relief materials from NEMA had been handed over to the local council for distribution.
He also promised to report his findings to the governor to ensure more support reaches affected families. The deputy governor further cautioned residents against building on waterways and stressed the need to obey environmental guidelines to avoid future disasters.
NEMA’s Director-General, Mrs Zubaida Umar, confirmed that food and non-food items—including rice, mats, and blankets—had been delivered to the state for distribution to victims.
She said NEMA was working closely with the Nigerian Red Cross and NSEMA to provide emergency assistance to the displaced population.
Head of Operations at NEMA in Niger State, Husseini Isah, disclosed that over 5,000 people have been displaced and property worth millions of naira lost.
Some of the victims recounted their losses with deep sorrow. A civil servant, Mohammed Tanko, said: “We lost at least 15 from this house (pointing to the relics of the house he grew up in). The property (is) gone. We lost everything.”
A local fisherman, Danjuma Shaba, said: “I don’t have a house to sleep in. My house has already collapsed.”
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had earlier issued warnings of possible flash floods across 15 states, including Niger, between Wednesday and Friday.
