A catastrophic flood has claimed the lives of more than 100 people in Niger State, with the worst-hit areas located around the city of Mokwa. The devastating event occurred on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, following days of relentless torrential rainfall that caused rivers to overflow and flood entire communities.
The spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Ibrahim Audu Husseini, confirmed that rescue teams have so far recovered 115 bodies from the flood-affected areas. He warned that this number is expected to rise as search and recovery efforts continue downstream along the River Niger.
“We have so far recovered 115 bodies and more are expected to be recovered because the flood came from far distance and washed people into the River Niger. Downstream, bodies are still being recovered. So, the toll keeps rising,” Husseini told AFP.
Emergency responders are tirelessly combing through debris and submerged homes in a desperate search for survivors and victims. According to Husseini, entire families have been devastated by the floodwaters, with some families still missing several members. He recounted a heartbreaking case where only four out of twelve members of a family have been found.
The severity of the destruction is evident as many of the deceased have been discovered trapped beneath collapsed houses, prompting the need for heavy machinery such as excavators to aid in retrieving those still buried under rubble.
Earlier in the week, a provisional death toll of 88 was released by another NSEMA official, Hussaini Isah, but the figure has since been revised upward, reflecting the growing magnitude of this tragedy as more bodies are recovered.
The flood has displaced hundreds of residents and submerged countless homes, creating an urgent humanitarian crisis. Authorities have issued warnings for communities downstream of the River Niger to remain vigilant and prepare for potential further flooding as the situation evolves.
In a related social media post, a witness shared a harrowing video capturing a woman stranded in the floodwaters with her breastfeeding child. Fortunately, rescue teams were able to save her, highlighting the ongoing danger residents face in the flood zone.
It rained but it wasn’t peaceful in my hometown cuz it comes with flood 😭……a woman got stuck with her breastfeeding child in the middle of the flooding.
The woman has been rescued….it happened here in Mokwa Niger State pic.twitter.com/bIszQy1ZG1
— Muhammed Sadeeq (@AayEssEmm) May 29, 2025