Nigeria intensifies rescue efforts as floods kill over 100 people

By Kabir Adeniyi

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) – Heavy rainfall has caused devastating floods in the town of Mokwa, Niger state in Nigeria, resulting in over 100 deaths and displacing hundreds of thousands of people, officials said.

Multiple sources told Anadolu that torrential rains battered Mokwa late on Wednesday and lasted for several hours, washing away dozens of homes till Thursday.

Mokwa is a meeting point for traders from the south and food growers in the north of the country.

According to Ibrahim Audu Husseini, Niger state's Emergency Management Agency spokesperson, “about 110 bodies have been recovered from the devastating floods.”

He told Anadolu that rescue efforts were intensified to ensure more lives are not lost. “We are doing everything possible to respond to the needs of those affected,” he added.

Locals said hundreds of homes, markets, farmlands, and infrastructure, were submerged in water.

"This is the worst flood I have experienced in the five years that I came to Mokwa. I have no home to sleep," said Habeen Suleiman, a trader affected by the flood.

Earlier in the day, the National Emergency Management Agency engaged stakeholders in Niger on early preparedness and mitigation strategies against floods.

The campaign, themed “Strengthening Resilience, Enhancing Preparedness and Response,” brought together key actors in the disaster management ecosystem to deliberate on actionable steps to strengthen local responses to recurrent flooding.

The floods have also increased the risk of waterborne diseases such as diarrhea and malaria, with many people struggling to access clean drinking water and sanitation facilities.