Over 100 dead in devastating Niger State flood, rescue efforts ongoing

More than 100 people have been confirmed dead following a catastrophic flood that struck parts of Niger State on Wednesday, May 28, 2025.

Torrential rains triggered the disaster, which swept through communities around the city of Mokwa, leaving destruction, death, and dozens still missing in its wake.

The spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Ibrahim Audu Husseini, reported that 115 bodies have so far been recovered, with expectations that the death toll will continue to rise.

“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 response teams are continuing rescue operations, searching through debris and flood-affected areas for survivors and victims. Husseini revealed that entire families were affected, citing one case where only four out of twelve family members had been located.

He added that some of the deceased were found under collapsed homes, and that heavy equipment such as excavators would be needed to retrieve bodies still trapped beneath rubble.

A previous provisional death toll released Friday by another NSEMA official, Hussaini Isah, had put the number at 88. However, the updated figure reflects the increasing scale of the tragedy as recovery efforts continue.

The flood has left many homes submerged and hundreds of residents displaced. Authorities are urging communities downstream of the River Niger to remain on alert as the situation develops.