Mokwa, Nigeria — At least 150 people have died after torrential pre-dawn rains triggered severe flooding in Mokwa, a northern Nigerian market town where farmers from the north sell produce to traders from the south, officials said Friday. Authorities warned that the death toll is likely to rise.
The Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency has not yet confirmed how much rain fell after midnight on Thursday in Mokwa, which lies in Niger State, about 300 kilometers west of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
Floodwaters submerged neighborhoods, with many homes completely underwater except for their rooftops, according to videos and photos shared on social media. Residents were seen wading waist-deep in muddy currents, attempting to salvage belongings and assist others.
Communities in northern Nigeria have been experiencing extended dry spells exacerbated by climate change, often followed by sudden, intense rainfall during the brief wet season, leading to severe flooding.
Mokwa, a key agricultural trade hub where southern traders purchase goods like beans and onions from northern farmers, was among the hardest hit. Alhaji Aliki Musa, a local community leader, described the flood as seasonal but unusual. “The water is like spiritual water which used to come, but it’s seasonal,” he said. “There’s not much water in Mokwa that will bring that flood.”
In a related incident last September, heavy rains and a dam collapse in the northeastern city of Maiduguri caused deadly flooding that killed at least 30 people and displaced millions, compounding the humanitarian crisis driven by Boko Haram militants in the region.
Authorities continue to assess the damage and are warning that the final death toll may increase as more information becomes available.
