Quote from Alex bobby on May 31, 2025, 8:12 AM

Catastrophic Flooding in Mokwa: At Least 111 Dead as Northern Nigerian Town Submerged

A devastating flood has struck the market town of Mokwa in Niger State, northern Nigeria, leaving at least 111 people dead and many more feared missing as search and rescue operations continue. Officials are warning that the death toll is likely to rise in the coming days as more bodies are recovered from the floodwaters that submerged entire neighbourhood’s.

The flooding was triggered by torrential rain in the early hours of Thursday, which poured down relentlessly before dawn. While the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency has not released exact rainfall measurements, eyewitness accounts and shocking visuals shared on social media paint a grim picture of the disaster’s scale.

Entire streets, homes, and farms were consumed by waist-deep, muddy water. Many residents were seen wading through the floods, trying to salvage what little they could or to rescue loved ones trapped in their homes. Some buildings were so deeply submerged that only their roofs were visible above the water.

“We Lost Many Lives”

For the people of Mokwa — a key trading hub where northern farmers sell produce to traders from southern Nigeria — the losses have been overwhelming. Beyond the staggering human toll, residents also suffered the destruction of critical agricultural goods, storage facilities, and property.

“We lost many lives, and the properties, our farm produce. Those that have their storage have lost it,” said Kazeem Muhammed, a resident of Mokwa who spoke with local media.

Local officials confirmed the widespread devastation. Ibrahim Audu Husseini, spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, stated that “more bodies have just been brought and are yet to be counted,” indicating that the official death toll of 111 is likely a severe undercount.

Not Just Another Flood

While northern Nigeria is no stranger to seasonal flooding, this event has been described as unprecedented in recent memory. Aliki Musa, a local community leader, said that while floods do occasionally happen, this one felt almost mystical.

“The water is like spiritual water which used to come but it’s seasonal,” Musa said. “It can come now (and) it will reach another twenty years before coming again.”

His words reflect a broader unease among locals — a sense that climate patterns have become dangerously unpredictable, a reality increasingly echoed by scientists and hydrologists across the region.

Climate Change and Infrastructure Failures

Experts have long warned that climate change is intensifying weather extremes across West Africa. In northern Nigeria, that means longer periods of drought followed by short but ferocious bursts of rainfall that often overwhelm local infrastructure.

“The combination of prolonged dry spells and intense rainfall is creating a deadly formula for flood-prone areas,” warned a climate researcher from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), citing a lack of sustainable infrastructure as a key aggravating factor.

The chairman of the Mokwa Local Government Area, Jibril Muregi, echoed that concern. He criticised the lack of long-promised flood-control measures, telling Premium Times that “this critical infrastructure is essential to mitigating future flood risks and protecting lives and property.”

A Pattern of Devastation

This is not an isolated tragedy. Just months ago in September, severe floods devastated parts of Maiduguri, in northeastern Nigeria, after torrential rains combined with a dam collapse, killing at least 30 people and displacing millions. That disaster compounded the already dire humanitarian crisis driven by the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency.

Together, these events reveal a disturbing trend: Nigeria’s increasing vulnerability to climate-driven disasters, made worse by inadequate infrastructure and emergency preparedness. From failing drainage systems too delayed response times, the systemic issues are making it harder for communities like Mokwa to recover.

National and Global Attention Needed

As Mokwa mourns it’s dead and residents begin the difficult task of rebuilding, there are renewed calls for both national and international attention. Emergency relief efforts are underway, but officials stress that long-term investment in infrastructure and climate resilience is urgently needed.

Whether this will finally be the wake-up call for meaningful change remains to be seen. For now, the people of Mokwa face a long road ahead — one marked by loss, but also by an urgent demand for action.

Conclusion

The catastrophic flooding in Mokwa is a grim reminder of how vulnerable communities in northern Nigeria are to climate extremes and infrastructure failures. With over 111 lives already lost and more casualties expected, the tragedy highlights a critical need for sustainable flood control systems, early warning mechanisms, and climate adaptation strategies. Unless urgent action is taken, Mokwa’s heartbreaking loss may not be the last.