Death toll from Niger state flooding rises to 111

The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) says the death toll from Wednesday’s flooding in the state has risen to 111.

On Wednesday night, floods submerged more than 50 residential houses — with their occupants — in Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa communities, Mokwa LGA.

Abdullahi Arah, NSEMA director-general, said on Thursday that the flood was caused by several hours of torrential rainfall in the state.

Arah noted that operatives of the agency with support from the local government authority, local divers and volunteers rescued three persons (a woman and her two children).

However, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the death toll has climbed to 111, adding that about 5,000 residents have been displaced.

Husseini Isah, head of operations at NEMA in Niger state, announced the updated death toll after an assessment of the incident and results from the search and rescue operation.

Earlier on Friday, President Bola Tinubu directed NEMA and security agencies to intensify rescue and relief operations in the affected communities.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had projected that the 2025 rainy season will span between 250 and 290 days in some states in the country.

The agency said the total annual rainfall is expected to range from 405 mm in the far north to 3010 mm in the coastal regions.

Nigeria has in recent times experienced an increase in flood disasters.

In 2024, over 4,000 people were displaced and 30 killed due to flooding in Maiduguri, Borno state capital.

The flood was reportedly caused by the collapse of the Alau Dam, which had been at full capacity over the past weeks.

In 2022, 201 persons were killed and 172,000 people displaced following reports of flooding in 16 states across the country.