MOKWA, June 2 (AGCNewsNet) – The death toll from the catastrophic flooding that engulfed the market town of Mokwa in north-central Nigeria has climbed to at least 200, local authorities confirmed on Sunday, as rescue operations were officially halted.

The floods, triggered by intense predawn rainfall on Thursday, struck the Niger State town located roughly 380 kilometers west of Abuja. Mokwa, a key agricultural and trading hub, was devastated within hours as floodwaters surged through homes, markets, and roads, submerging entire communities.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Musa Kimboku, deputy chairman of the Mokwa Local Government Area, said authorities have suspended rescue efforts, believing there are no survivors left to find beneath the rubble. “We are now focusing on recovering bodies and preventing disease outbreaks,” he said.

According to Ibrahim Audu Husseini, spokesperson for the Niger State emergency agency, more than 3,000 residents were displaced, 11 injured, and over 500 households affected across three local communities. “This flood came fast. Within five hours, everything was submerged. Roads disappeared, bridges collapsed, and people were trapped,” Husseini said.

Local images showed homes buried up to their rooftops, with survivors wading through waist-deep waters to salvage belongings or assist neighbors.

President Bola Tinubu extended his condolences in a statement released Friday, directing an immediate emergency response and urging agencies to accelerate recovery and relief efforts.

Mokwa’s proximity to the River Niger makes it prone to seasonal flooding, but community leader Aliki Musa noted that residents had never experienced flooding of this magnitude. “We are not used to this level of destruction,” Musa said.

Local government chairman Jibril Muregi echoed the frustration of many residents, telling Premium Times that the long-overdue construction of flood-control infrastructure must now become a national priority.

As climate change continues to intensify weather extremes in Nigeria, experts warn that without serious investment in drainage systems, relocation planning, and early warning infrastructure, disasters like this will become more frequent—and more deadly.

Source: Premium Times