By Deborah Nnamdi
The death toll from the flooding in Mokwa, Niger State, has climbed to 151, with 11 individuals reported to have sustained varying degrees of injuries.
According to Hussaini Ibrahim, the Public Relations Officer of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), several bodies were recovered in Mokwa town following the heavy downpour, while others were found in the nearby Rabba Community.
“Some bodies were recovered from the debris of collapsed homes,” Husseini said, adding that his teams would need excavators to retrieve corpses.
He noted that many individuals were still unaccounted for, highlighting a tragic case where only four out of a family of twelve had been found as of Friday.
Most of the displaced residents have taken shelter at a primary school in Mokwa town.
Hussaini cautioned that the death toll could increase further, as strong currents from the Niger River may have carried more bodies away. Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu announced that search-and-rescue efforts were ongoing, with security forces actively supporting the emergency response.
Tinubu who shared this update in a social media post overnight, added that “relief materials and temporary shelter assistance are being deployed without delay” in Mokwa, which was hit by torrential rains late on Wednesday through to early on Thursday.
