NIGER State Deputy Governor, Yakubu Garba, has confirmed that over 100 lives were lost following the flooding in Mokwa Local Government Area of the state earlier this week.
Garba said this during an on-the-spot assessment visit to the affected area on Friday, May 30, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Accompanied by officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Garba said the death toll was higher than earlier reported.
The ICIR had on Thursday, May 29, reported that at least 21 people, including minors and women, were confirmed dead after flood swept through Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa communities in Mokwa town, in the early hours of Thursday.
The disaster, triggered by a heavy midnight downpour that lasted over five hours, submerged dozens of homes, forcing families to flee for their lives, according to a resident Yunusa who spoke with The ICIR.
Confirming the incident, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) in a statement by its Director General, Abdullahi Baba Arah, stated that over 50 houses were washed away, leaving families homeless and entire communities in shock.
However, speaking with journalists during his visit to the site, Garba said that over 100 bodies had been recovered, adding that search and rescue operation was still ongoing.
“I have been briefed by officials from NEMA and NSEMA, who have been on ground since the incident occurred for search and rescue operations.
“I was told that over 100 people lost their lives and some are yet to be buried as search and rescue operations are still ongoing,” he said.
Addressing displaced persons at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Mokwa, Garba urged them to remain patient as the state government mobilises relief efforts.
He assured the victims that the state had received relief materials from NEMA, including food items, blankets, and mats, which had been handed over to the council chairman for distribution.
Garba pledged to escalate the situation to the governor and push for additional support for the affected communities.
He also cautioned residents against building structures on waterways, warning that such practices worsen the impact of flooding and could lead to more disasters in the future.
On her part, NEMA’s Director-General, Zubaida Umar, stated that her agency had deployed teams to coordinate search and rescue operations and provide relief materials in collaboration with the Red Cross and NSEMA.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M