The Niger State Government confirmed that the death toll from the devastating flood that struck Mokwa communities last week has climbed from 153 to 200.
Deputy Governor Yakubu Garba made this known when he received the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, at the Government House in Minna. Obi visited the state to sympathise with the government and people over the tragic incident.
Garba revealed that more than 1,000 residents across the three affected communities in Mokwa are still unaccounted for, while over 3,000 people have been displaced and around 2,000 houses destroyed.
“The most troubling concern now is the fate of those still missing, as many families are desperately searching for their loved ones,” the deputy governor said.
He warned that the casualty figure could still rise, given the number of missing persons.
“If we say this is the number today, the next day you see the number going up again. But I know from the people that there were people displaced, and nobody has seen them,” he said.
“For now, we don’t know where they are. Those people have actually been swept away by water. We have reviewed house-to-house and based on that, the number of people that are yet to be seen is more than 1,000.
“But the dead that have been seen are close to 200 now. And the displaced persons are more than 3,000 plus and the affected direct properties are more than 2,000.
“There are some roads that were washed away. About three bridges collapsed.”
During the visit, Mr. Obi donated N20 million to the state government to support relief efforts. He expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, noting that it was a national loss.
“We felt that we had to physically visit here and show solidarity because whatever happened here happened to Nigeria. We’re all Nigerians. We are brothers and sisters,” Obi said.
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“May those who died find eternal rest. May their families and the good people of Niger State be comforted.”
He commended the response of the state government so far and called for continued efforts to reduce the suffering of the victims and prevent future disasters.
In a related development, the wife of the state governor, Hajiya Fatima Bago, visited some of the affected areas and announced a personal donation of N50 million. She said the contribution, made on behalf of herself and her family, was aimed at easing the hardship caused by the flood.
“We are here to condole with victims of the flood disaster and to assess the situation,” she stated.
“There is nothing we can do since the disaster has happened. We only advise the people to be cautious henceforth and avoid building on waterways.”
Hajiya Fatima praised the ongoing search and recovery operations, noting that the use of an excavator has boosted efforts to retrieve more bodies.
Meanwhile, the Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Usman, urged the victims to remain steadfast, describing the disaster as an act of God.
The Village Head of Mokwa, Mohammed Aliyu, expressed gratitude for the visit of the governor’s wife and appealed to the government to provide compensation to the residents of the affected communities.
