Floods in Nigeria leave more than 150 dead and thousands displaced

At least 150 people have died in recent floods that hit the town of Mokwa in central Nigeria , where thousands have been displaced, with rescuers fearing on Saturday, May 31, that the death toll could rise further.

Rescue teams expanded their search operations and deployed several kilometers from the epicenter of the floods. Bodies were found more than ten kilometers from the city.

According to a spokesperson for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), where Mokwa is located, more than 3,000 people have been displaced, 265 houses "completely destroyed" and two bridges washed away. At least 121 people have been hospitalized, said Gideon Adamu, head of the Red Cross in the state, and more than 50 children from a Quranic school are missing, according to the Daily Trust newspaper.

Torrential rains on Wednesday, May 28, washed away and submerged dozens of homes in this area near the Niger River. Bodies were swallowed by the river and carried further downstream. Buildings collapsed and roads were flooded in this city, which is more than 350 km west of the capital, Abuja.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said security forces are being deployed to assist with first responders, while "relief materials and temporary shelter assistance are being deployed without delay," in an overnight social media post. The Nigerian Red Cross, local volunteers, the army, and police are all involved in the relief effort.

Mohammed Tanko, a 29-year-old civil servant, points to what remains of a house where he grew up, telling reporters: "We lost at least 15 people from that house. We lost everything." Displaced children played Friday in floodwaters, increasing the risk of exposure to waterborne diseases, as at least two bodies lay nearby, covered with banana leaves and printed cloth.

Nigeria's rainy season, which usually lasts six months, is only just beginning this year. Flooding, usually caused by heavy rains and poor infrastructure, wreaks havoc every year, killing hundreds of people across the West African country. It is exacerbated by poor drainage, the construction of homes on rivers, and the dumping of waste into drains and waterways.

Scientists have also warned that climate change is fueling more extreme weather events. In 2024, more than 1,200 people were killed and 1.2 million displaced in at least 31 of Nigeria's 36 states.