Death toll in Nigeria rises to 151 as country hit with torrential rains
31 May 2025, 14:46 | Updated: 31 May 2025, 14:47
At least 151 people have been confirmed dead after heavy rainfall unleashed flooding in north-central Nigeria.
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The downpours, which lasted for seven hours, were the worst seen in the area for "60 years", according to local officials.
Niger state emergency agency Ibrahim Audu Husseini has said more than 3,000 people were displaced in the town of Mokwa, Niger state.
At least 500 households across three communities were affected by the pre-dawn rain Friday, leaving roofs barely visible and residents waist-deep in water, Mr Husseini added.
The Nigerian government has since expressed its "profound sorrow".
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Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, saying that security and emergency agencies have been directed to assist in the search and rescue operation.
The head of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abullahiu Baba-Arah, "surging flood water submerged and washed away over 50 residential houses with their occupants".
Mokwa's District Head, Muhammad Shaba Aliyu, said it had been "60 years" since the community had suffered this kind of flooding.
Mr Aliyu has also appealed to the Nigerian government for more support.
This is not the first time Nigeria has seen severe flooding; the country typically experiences a monsoon season between April and October, but the flooding has grown in severity in recent years.
Parts of northern Nigeria experienced extreme flooding last year, which saw the displacement of major towns and destruction of major infrastructures.
In 2022, 1.3 million people were displaced by severe floods, with a death toll of at least 600.
