The Niger State government has confirmed that over 1,000 people remain missing following the devastating flood in Mokwa Local Government Area, while the death toll has risen to nearly 200. The disaster has displaced more than 3,000 residents and damaged over 2,000 homes, Deputy Governor Comrade Yakubu Garba disclosed on Monday.
Garba revealed these grim figures during a condolence visit by former presidential candidate Peter Obi to the Government House in Minna. He expressed deep concern that many of the missing persons are presumed dead, describing the situation as one of the most tragic in recent memory.
“We cannot give you exact interim statistics because the numbers keep rising daily,” Garba said. “We have reviewed house to house and based on the households, more than 1,000 people are yet to be accounted for. The physically recovered bodies are close to 200 now, and over 3,000 people have been displaced. The flood has also washed away several roads and caused the collapse of three bridges.”
Obi, who visited to show solidarity with the victims and state government, lamented the loss of lives and destruction, urging increased investment in Niger State and similar regions to build resilience.
“We felt it was important to come here physically to condole and show solidarity because whatever happened here happened in Nigeria,” Obi said. “Niger State is key to Nigeria’s agricultural future. Investing here is critical to reducing hunger and boosting the economy beyond oil.”
He commended the Niger State government for its response and donated N20 million to aid flood victims. Obi also emphasized the need for stronger disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts to reduce the impact of such calamities in the future.
The Mokwa flood disaster remains an urgent humanitarian crisis as search efforts continue for missing residents and recovery operations press on. Local authorities are appealing for support from federal agencies and humanitarian organizations to assist displaced families and rebuild critical infrastructure.
