A devastating flood has swept through Mokwa town, the headquarters of Mokwa Local Government Area in Niger State, leaving an unspecified number of people dead and many others missing.
Grassroots Parrot reports that the disaster, which struck on Wednesday night following several hours of torrential rain, has left the community in shock and mourning.
Though official figures are yet to be confirmed, local residents estimate that as many as 50 lives may have been lost.
Others fear the death toll could be significantly higher, with many women and children still unaccounted for. Several homes were submerged, and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed by the raging waters.
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The flood also severed the critical highway linking the northern and southern parts of the country through Mokwa, further isolating the affected community and complicating emergency response efforts.
Eyewitnesses described a night of chaos as floodwaters surged through homes while residents slept.
Mohammed Usman, a resident, told Daily Trust that multiple bodies had already been recovered, but many others remain missing in areas where entire houses were engulfed.
The Director of Information and Special Duties at the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Dr. Ibrahim Audu Hussaini, confirmed the incident.
Hussaini said the agency is still assessing the scale of the disaster. “We are still gathering information and will make our findings public once we have a clearer picture,” he stated.