Death Toll From Flooding In Niger State Surpasses 100

Over 100 people have died in devastating flash floods that swept through parts of Niger State.

According to emergency officials, the death toll is still climbing as rescue teams continue searching for those missing.

The flooding began after heavy rainfall late Wednesday night, causing water to rush through communities around Mokwa, destroying homes and sweeping people into 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,” Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency told AFP.

Husseini added that several residents remain unaccounted for, including a family of 12 in which only four members have been found.

He revealed that some bodies were pulled from beneath collapsed buildings, and rescuers say they now need excavators to dig through the rubble for more victims.

Earlier on Friday, another official involved in the operation, Hussaini Isah, had estimated the death toll at 88, but the number rose quickly as more bodies were recovered.

An AFP reporter on the scene described emergency workers combing through debris, while residents helped look for loved ones among the ruins.

Children played in the floodwaters, raising fears of waterborne diseases.

At least two bodies were seen covered with cloth and banana leaves as grieving families looked on.

One woman, visibly overwhelmed, sat in silence with tears streaming down her face.

A civil servant, Mohammed Tanko, said he lost at least 15 relatives in the flood.

“We lost at least 15 from this house. The property (is) gone. We lost everything,” he said.

A local fisherman, Danjuma Shaba, said he had to sleep in a car park because his home collapsed in the flood.

“I don’t have a house to sleep in. My house has already collapsed,” he said.

Nigeria’s rainy season has only just begun, but the country is already seeing severe impacts.

Flooding is a recurring problem, worsened by poor drainage systems, illegal construction on waterways, and blocked drainage channels.

Every year, heavy rains claim hundreds of lives and displace thousands more.

Experts say climate change is making extreme weather more common, and the risks are growing.

KanyiDaily recalls that in 2024, thousands of people were forced to leave their homes after severe flooding hit Maiduguri, Borno State.