Mokwa Flood: Survivors pick the pieces
Seventy-three days after the devastating flood that claimed many lives and destroyed a lot of houses in Mokwa, the busy headquarters of Mokwa Local Government Area in Niger State, some victims are yet to receive financial intervention from the government. The flash flood, which occurred on May 29, 2025 after a heavy downpour, submerged buildings […]
Seventy-three days after the devastating flood that claimed many lives and destroyed a lot of houses in Mokwa, the busy headquarters of Mokwa Local Government Area in Niger State, some victims are yet to receive financial intervention from the government.
The flash flood, which occurred on May 29, 2025 after a heavy downpour, submerged buildings and swept away many people from their homes.
Weekend Trust reports that over two months after the incident, many bodies are yet to be recovered, and rescue operations have since stopped.
Our correspondent who was in Mokwa recently on a fact-finding mission observed that victims of the disaster are still struggling to pick up the pieces of their lives, even as they shared tales of confusion, unanswered questions and mounting frustration.
It was learnt that not all victims have benefitted from the intervention of the government, including the N1 billion the Niger State Government promised to disburse to cushion the effect of the disaster.
While the payment was said to have been done in batches, only the first batch has so far been completed; more than 70 days after the disaster. This has forced some victims to return to the displaced persons camp to wait for the second batch of disbursement so that they can get proper shelter.
It was gathered that the list of prospective beneficiaries included the names of non-victims, thereby frustrating the process.
Findings revealed that only 313 people have received food items, 345 households paid in the first batch of cash disbursement, while 228 people whose houses were destroyed have been paid. Out of the 207 dead bodies identified, 110 have been paid.
Weekend Trust was told that N1 million was paid for deaths, each household also received N1 million, while those whose houses were destroyed got N500,000 each.
A 70-year-old Suleiman Isah, one of the survivors whose house and all investments, including six shops, grinding machines, a car-washing centre and a block industry were washed away, is yet to receive any relief.
Isah, who has just been discharged from the hospital, now shares an apartment with his son in another area, continuously wondering how he would recover what he lost without any support from the government.
“I was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday. I lost all my investments and no help has come to me from government. I am traumatised and confused. Why should the government leave us to suffer?
“The governor of Niger State promised to assist us with some money, which they said would be paid in categories. The first category is for house owners. I am among the house owners because I lived in my personal house, but over two months after the incident, I have not seen any money.
“Where is the money? Don’t they have a genuine list of the victims? If the governor had given the N1 billion he announced, he should come out to defend himself. And if they don’t have the money to give us, they should tell us. They should not allow us to suffer like this. If I had gotten that money, I would have started something small to help me pick up.
“Aside my personal house where I lived with my children, which was submerged, I had another one I rented out. I had six shops, a carwash, block industry and a maize processing machine, all washed away by water.
“I have been thinking about where to start again? I don’t have money. I no longer earn anything, and support from the government is not forthcoming. We are supposed to have received government’s intervention by now so that I would have peace of mind. I am surviving on nothing. I now rely on my children who struggle day and night to help me. I am traumatised,” he lamented.
Isah also alleged that the food donated to victims had been kept in a government store, leaving them to suffer.
Also, Hadiza Sahilu, who lost her mother in the disaster, said that apart from food items, they were yet to get cash donation.
“We sleep in the neighbourhood because we don’t have anywhere to go. My mother’s body was not recovered and we are yet to get financial intervention from the government as the money they promised to help us get a house has not been given. We got 10 bags of 10kg rice; but each bag is not up to five mudus,” she said.
Hadiza Hassan said they lost 12 people, including her grandchildren but they had not received any financial help, adding that they now beg to survive.
However, investigation by Weekend Trust revealed that some victims have received financial donation.
Aisha Abubakar, who lost her 20-year-old daughter and another two-year-old boy to the disaster, confirmed to our correspondent that she was paid N2 million but is yet to receive the money promised to help them rent a house.
She said they needed new homes to enable them start their lives afresh.
Hawawu Umar, who also lost 15 members of her family, including her husband and children and now lives with her husband’s friend, said she had been paid N15 million for the 15 people she lost.
“I was paid but the money was shared with my husband’s family,” she noted.
Why some victims returned to IDP camp
Contrary to government’s claim that it had shut the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp after money was paid to victims, many survivors are still found living there.
Among those still living in the camp is a 65-year-old Hussaina Yau, who said she had no place to sleep after being discharged from the hospital. She now struggles to find food in the camp.
“After I was rescued from the water, I felt sick and was admitted at the hospital. When I was discharged I didn’t have where to sleep because my husband had left Mokwa because he had no money to rent a house. But my son has gone to Patigi, Kwara State to do menial works to raise money. We have not received any donation,” she said.
According to her, the classroom where they currently live is not habitable due to lack of mosquito nets. And there is no food.
Other victims who are yet to get financial intervention and are unable to rent houses also sleep in makeshift tents erected at the camp by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Sources from the Niger State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs also confided in Weekend Trust that some victims have not been fully paid.
“The state intervention is being handled by a committee headed by the deputy governor, Yakubu Garba. The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) serves as the secretariat of the committee.
“Some people received intervention during the first phase; and I am aware that plans have been concluded for the remaining disbursements. The challenge is that when the committee went to Mokwa to collect the details of victims, most of them didn’t have bank accounts. Some people had their account details submitted in proxy; and unfortunately, the details provided were incorrect. Also, there were people whose accounts could not take up to the amount to be disbursed to them. Again, some victims submitted account details of their relatives and the money had been sent to some accounts but they didn’t know. We have been telling them to go to the bank and check,” one of the sources revealed.
Weekend Trust also gathered that victims from Raba and Ndayako, the neighbouring communities affected by the disaster, were yet to get financial intervention.
A resident of one of the communities, Kasim Baba said, “Some victims are actually yet to receive money. Victims from Raba and Ndayako communities have not been paid. Also, in Mokwa town, almost 100 people are yet to be paid, as well as over 50 whose houses were destroyed.”
A government official also told Weekend Trust that some food items donated to the victims have remained in the government store.
He said that out of over 400 victims identified, only 313 had received food items, more than 70 days after the incident.
A resident, Hassan Bala said, “The N1 billion support publicly promised by the Niger State governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago has only reached about 100 victims, who received N1 million each. Majority of those affected have not received any financial support. And there is no transparent explanation for the delay by the committee saddled with the responsibility of disbursing the money and relief materials.”
One of the residents of Mokwa, Baba Usman also, lamented that the committee responsible for distributing relief materials and cash support had refused to give an account of how much has been disbursed or to whom.
Victims also allege that over N3 billion received into the Niger State Emergency Distress Account has not been used to provide any relief assistance, while the state government’s committee has kept silent on how and when the donated funds were used.
One of them said, “The silence is deafening while the suffering of our people continues. This is a plea to the federal government and the Niger State Government to immediately intervene by prioritising the construction of decent and permanent shelters for flood victims in Mokwa.”
Residents also asked the state government to publish a report on the funds and materials donated to the victims.
Flagging off the distribution of relief materials, Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, who was represented by his deputy, Yakubu Garba, said the disaster claimed 209 lives, displaced 3,534 persons, affected 458 households and destroyed 280 houses and 31 shops.
“With a sober heart we recall the sad event that shook the very foundation of humanity in Mokwa. This catastrophe has shattered hopes, but we are determined to rebuild and recover,” the governor had said.
As part of the state’s response, the governor approved the sum of N1 billion for affected households and an additional N7 billion for the reconstruction of critical infrastructure, including roads and bridges destroyed by the flood.
Bago announced that each of the affected 458 households would receive N1 million, along with 25 bags of assorted grains, including five bags of 50kg rice, five bags of maize, five bags of sorghum and five bags of millet.
The governor also directed the payment of N1 million to each deceased person to the next of kin of all the 209 victims.
Additionally, each owner of the 280 damaged houses and 31 shops was to receive N500,000 for reconstruction.
“This is only the first step in our rebuilding and recovery efforts. We will not rest until Mokwa regains its economic and social strength,” the governor assured.
Flood prediction: Government must act now – Victims
Following the prediction of anticipated flooding in some states across Nigeria, including Niger, the victims of Mokwa flood disaster have called for proactive measures from the government to avert a repeat of their experience.
One of the victims, Fatima, who said she was yet to receive financial intervention, added that they depend on God for safety in the face of any future flooding.
“The government is supposed to have started working on the gully erosion site immediately after the disaster but they are yet to start anything. So, even if we experience another flood now, only God can save us,” she said.
Kashi Edogi, a mother of 10, told Weekend Trust that they have no power to control the flood; hence they depend on God, lamenting that the government has not taken their plight seriously.
NSEMA reacts
The Director General, Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullahi Baba Arah debunked claims that foodstuff donated for victims had been kept in the store and some stolen.
He also said arrangements had been completed for final disbursements to the remaining victims.
He however said the reconstruction of houses would be done by the federal government and only house owners would benefit.
“Schedule has already been sent to the bank for disbursements, they will start receiving their money.
“Those that were given money for rent were those that were tenants in the houses affected. They were given N1 million each to rent a house with food items to go continue their life because they don’t even have a house there. So, they were not entitled to a house. Then, those that have houses were given N500, 000 pending when federal government that promised them houses would build new houses for them. But if you were a tenant, you are not entitled to a new house because it is not your house. And it is not everybody government can build a house for. The N1 million given to each tenant was for them to go and buy new materials washed away by the flooding and rent a house to stay.
“Secondly those who were in their own houses would get N500, 000 for rent and another N500, 000 for the house that was destroyed.
“People that were in households were 328; those house owners are 180 but only 52 have not been paid; those that are dead are 209 and we paid for 110. So, our next batch of payment will cover 52 house owners, 113 households, and 99 deceased persons whose next of kins would be paid.
“But he challenge we have is that, most of the deceased persons in the list are pupils of the Affected Quranic school and government said the money should not be given to the teacher of the Quranic except parents of the deceased pupils”, he explained.
He said all the affected houses and victims were captured and verified before payment commenced.
He said the affected 6 farmers from Raba and over 120 others from Ndayako Communities would also be paid in the se one batch.