A powerful flood hit Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State late Wednesday night, May 28, claiming the lives of many people, including 12 members of the same family. The flood affected Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa communities.

More than 50 children studying in Islamic schools, known as almajirai, have not been found since the incident. Many homes were swept away or completely destroyed by the flood.

Mokwa town is a major resting point for travelers and truck drivers. It’s known for being very active with traffic and trade.

Officials from the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) confirmed that 21 people had died. However, residents say the actual number might be over 60.

One of the victims was a student named Binta, from the Niger State College of Health Technology. She had traveled to Mokwa for the holidays. Her body was recovered after the flood.

A woman from the area, Hajiya Hassana Mokwa, said her brother’s family was hit hard. Out of 13 family members, only one person survived. The rest d!ed and the survivor is now in the hospital.

She also explained that a Quranic school run by her cousin lost all its students in the flood. No one from that house survived, and the building was completely underwater.

“In my brother’s house, 13 people lived there. Only one person came out alive. The Quranic school nearby also lost many pupils. The whole building vanished in the flood. You wouldn’t even know a house was there,” she shared.

She added that even a one-storey building in the area was totally covered by floodwater. People were still trying to find out how many bodies might be trapped under the remains of that house.

By 7pm the next day, burial ceremonies had started for the victims whose bodies had been found.

Another local, Mallam Hamza Mahmud, said two of his family members were found dead, while three others were still missing.

He believed that more than 60 people lost their lives in the disaster.

Among the victims was a pregnant woman whose body was found in the evening. Her four children were still missing at the time.

According to reports, more than 50 Quranic school pupils were still unaccounted for as of 7pm that day.

Alhaji Baba Adamu, another community member, said most of the people who d!ed were women and children. There were a few men, but the majority of victims were female and young.

He also said that the body of a woman was found around 6pm, and that many children from the Quranic school had still not been located.