Wednesday, May 28 and Thursday, May 29, will remain unforgettable for the people of Mokwa, as an estimated 200 people were drowned in a flood that followed the rainfall. The Niger State Emergency Management Agency said over 50 houses and their occupants were swept away by the flood. According to NSEMA, over 3,000 persons were displaced, 503 households were affected and an official casualty figure of 161 recovered corpses. Days after the flood water receded, the agency announced corpses recovered in different parts of the town, with some of them buried in the ground while others were covered by debris. Nearly two weeks after the devastating floods which swept through Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State, residents are lamenting over the stench of decaying corpses believed to be those of flood victims still buried under sand and debris.
According to residents, the stench of decaying corpses was a major concern, adding that the smell intensified whenever the wind blew through the area. Therefore, the government needs to take action on this issue before it becomes a pandemic.
A resident, Alhassan Kolo reported that the putrid stench of decaying corpses had filled the air. Kolo said some of the recovered corpses had become almost unrecognisable due to decay. “Honestly, some of the bodies we recovered, you can’t even recognise them anymore because they are decaying. “The water has receded, but we are battling with sand pile-up and the stench. As we dig through the sand, we discover property and corpses,” he said.
Another resident, Ahmed Yusuf, who spoke in Nupe, lamented that he could not stand the stench. “I believe the stench is from the corpses of those victims that had not been found as they are already decaying. I pray the government acts quickly to stop this. The stench is choking us,” he said.
The resident lamented that the corpses were many, wondering how the government would be able to recover all. “Men, women and children died and the government has to make efforts to recover their corpses else, we may not be able to live in this place with this smell,” he said.
Another resident, Salihu Ishaq, has lamented that many of the displaced persons did not want to stay in the internally displaced persons camps opened by the government. According to Salihu, “Since I was born, I have never seen this kind of flood. Many villages around Mokwa were also affected.
“I have a sister who alongside her three children was swept away by the flood. “The flood washed away more than 50 houses. We have buried more than 70 and we are still searching for more corpses because there are more missing persons,” he added.
Lamenting their losses, some of the residents appealed to the government to come to their rescue. Following the incident, the Federal Government, speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima, during his visit, announced a N2bn donation to rehabilitate the town and the victims.
The government also donated foodstuff and other necessities. In addition, the state government, on Monday, announced a N1bn donation to rehabilitate the victims. A resident, Amina Abubakar, who said she lost a sister and her three children, appealed to the government to come to the rescue of the people “We are still searching for the children. They may be dead by now. There are so many other people from our community who are missing and may not be found again.
“The Federal Government should come to our aid. Most people have lost everything and don’t know where to start. The government should come in immediately, it is very urgent,” Abubakar said. The Director of Public Health in the Ministry of Secondary and Tertiary Health, Idris Ibrahim, said that the government was aware of the stench and was doing something about it. “A prevention control team is there and officials are working round the clock to ensure that the smell issue is addressed,” he said.
When asked if there was a plan to relocate the residents, Ibrahim said, “The state government is working to address the situation. The governor was there today, it is part of what we are discussing.” The Director General of NSEMA, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, giving the last update on the disaster on June 4, said the death toll was 161. “One dead body was recovered today, while the debris evacuation was going on close to the bridge. The death toll is now 161 as of 4 pm, 4th June 2025,” he said.
The Head of the Press Unit at the National Emergency Management Agency, Manzo Ezekiel, said that there was a joint effort involving the Federal Government, Niger State government, local authorities, and individuals to support the rehabilitation of flood victims.