At least 151 people have died in central Nigeria following devastating flash floods that swept through communities earlier this week, destroying homes and displacing thousands. The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) warned that the death toll could climb further as search teams scour the area for missing victims, some of whom were reportedly swept into the River Niger.
More than 500 households—comprising over 3,000 people—were affected, with some families losing multiple relatives, including children, according to a NSEMA spokesperson. Local authorities confirmed that 11 survivors have been rescued and hospitalized.
The districts of Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa in Mokwa were among the hardest hit. Muhammad Shaba Aliyu, Mokwa’s district head, said the community had not experienced flooding of this magnitude in 60 years. "I beg the government to support us," he pleaded, as officials struggled to respond to the overwhelming need for food and shelter.
Mokwa, a key trading and transportation hub along the River Niger, serves as a transit point between northern and southern Nigeria. The floods collapsed a major bridge linking the country’s northern and southwestern regions, stranding motorists and disrupting travel.
The flooding followed torrential rains from late Wednesday into Thursday, submerging roads, bridges, and buildings. Nigeria’s rainy season, which typically lasts from April to October, has only just begun, yet authorities have already warned of heavy downpours in at least 15 of the country’s 36 states.
Mohamed Adow, director of the Kenya-based think tank Power Shift Africa, described the disaster as a "cruel irony" of climate change, where regions face extreme drought followed by catastrophic floods. "The terrible floods in Nigeria are another reminder that Africa stands on the front line of the climate crisis," he told Sky News, urging polluting nations to cut emissions and increase climate funding for vulnerable countries.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has directed emergency and security agencies to intensify search-and-rescue operations while activating the national emergency response center. "Relief materials and temporary shelter assistance are being deployed without delay," Tinubu said in a statement. "We will ensure that no Nigerian affected by this disaster is left behind or unheard of."
Survivors, meanwhile, are sifting through the wreckage. "We lost many lives, our properties, our farm produce. Those with storage facilities lost everything," said resident Kazeem Muhammed.
As recovery efforts continue, officials fear the full scale of the destruction—and the human cost—has yet to be realized.