Flash Floods Kill at Least 115 in Central Nigeria

Flash floods triggered by intense rainfall late Wednesday through early Thursday have devastated parts of central Nigeria, particularly around the town of Mokwa in Niger state.

Emergency services reported that at least 115 bodies have been recovered so far, and the toll is expected to rise as more victims are found.

“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,” said Ibrahim Audu Husseini, spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency.

“Downstream, bodies are still being recovered. So, the toll keeps rising,” he added.

Many people remain unaccounted for, including a family of 12 where only four members have been found.

“Some bodies were recovered from the debris of collapsed homes,” Husseini said, noting that excavators will be needed to retrieve corpses trapped under rubble.

At least 78 people have been hospitalized with injuries, according to Gideon Adamu, the Red Cross chief for the state.

Local media reported that thousands of residents have been displaced, and over 50 children attending an Islamic school are missing.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) called the disaster an "unprecedented flood."

Security forces, including police and the military, have joined the emergency response.

Mokwa, located nearly 380 kilometers west of Abuja, is a key trading hub where southern buyers source agricultural products from the north.

The floods have highlighted the vulnerability of communities already grappling with the effects of climate change, which has intensified both dry spells and seasonal rains.

Mokwa community leader Aliki Musa told the Associated Press that such flooding is rare.

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

More than 5,000 people have been rendered homeless, and two major bridges in the town have been destroyed, the Red Cross said.

Displaced children were seen playing in floodwaters near bodies wrapped in banana leaves and traditional cloth, raising fears of waterborne disease outbreaks.

An emotional woman sat crying in a maroon headscarf.

Mohammed Tanko, 29, a civil servant, stood in front of a house he once lived in.

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

Fisherman Danjuma Shaba, 35, said he had been sleeping in a car park since his home collapsed.

Nigeria’s six-month rainy season is just beginning, but already flooding—exacerbated by poor drainage, illegal construction on waterways, and waste-clogged channels—is taking a deadly toll.

“This tragic incident serves as a timely reminder of the dangers associated with building on waterways and the critical importance of keeping drainage channels and river paths clear,” NEMA said in a statement.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had warned of flash floods in 15 states, including Niger, between Wednesday and Friday.

In 2024, more than 1,200 people died and 1.2 million were displaced by flooding in at least 31 of Nigeria’s 36 states, according to NEMA.