Over 150 killed as torrential rain unleashes floods in northern Nigeria

Published connected 31/05/2025 - 11:23 GMT+2•Updated 13:16

The flooding, caused by torrents of predawn rain, person killed astatine slightest 151 group successful a marketplace municipality wherever bluish Nigerian farmers waste their wares to traders from nan south, officials said Friday, predicting nan decease toll would grow.

The Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency did not instantly opportunity really overmuch rainfall fell aft midnight Thursday.

Communities successful bluish Nigeria person been experiencing prolonged barren spells worsened by ambiance alteration and excessive rainfall that leads to terrible flooding during nan little bedewed season.

In videos and photos connected societal media, floodwaters were seen covering full neighbourhoods and homes were submerged, pinch their roofs hardly visible supra nan brownish coloured waters. Waist-deep successful water, residents tried to salvage what they could, aliases rescue others.

“We mislaid galore lives, and nan properties, our workplace produce. Those that person their retention person mislaid it,” Kazeem Muhammed, a Mokwa resident, said.

Besides nan 111 confirmed dead, “more bodies person conscionable been brought and are yet to beryllium counted,” Niger authorities emergency agency spokesperson IIbrahim Audu Husseini said.

Mokwa organization leader Aliki Musa said nan villagers are not utilized to specified flooding. “The h2o is for illustration belief h2o which utilized to travel but it’s seasonal,” said Musa. “It tin travel now (and) it will scope different 20 years earlier coming again."

The president of nan Mokwa section authorities area, Jibril Muregi, told section news website Premium Times that building of flood-control useful was agelong overdue.

“This captious infrastructure is basal to mitigating early flood risks and protecting lives and property,” he said.

In September, torrential rains and a reservoir illness successful nan northeastern metropolis of Maiduguri caused terrible flooding that near astatine slightest 30 group dormant and displaced millions, worsening nan humanitarian situation caused by nan Boko Haram insurgency.