Residents of Mokwa in Niger State have raised the alarm over renewed flooding in the town after heavy rainfall submerged parts of Rabba Road, about 16 months after a devastating flood killed 206 people and displaced thousands of residents.
The latest flooding started late on Wednesday and continued into Thursday morning, according to residents who spoke to SaharaReporters.
Residents said parts of Rabba Road were submerged by floodwater following the heavy rainfall, raising fresh fears among communities still recovering from the devastating May 2025 disaster.
Videos from the area show floodwater covering sections of the road, with residents and road users facing difficulties moving through the affected area.
Residents told SaharaReporters that the recurrence of flooding has renewed concerns about the safety of homes, properties and livelihoods in Mokwa, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall.
One resident described the latest flooding as worrying because it came after the deadly disaster of May 2025.
“The flooding started late on Wednesday and continued into Thursday morning following the heavy rainfall. We are seriously worried because this is happening again after what Mokwa experienced last year,” the resident said.
Another resident expressed disappointment over what they described as inadequate preventive measures following the previous disaster.
“We are disappointed in the Tinubu government and the Niger State Government because promises were made during the last disaster, but we have not seen enough meaningful intervention to prevent another occurrence,” the resident said.
The residents said they were particularly concerned that the flooding could worsen if heavy rainfall continues.
“People are now living in fear whenever it rains heavily because they do not know whether they will lose their homes, properties or means of livelihood again,” another resident said.
Mokwa’s 2025 Deadly Flood
The latest incident comes about 16 months after the devastating flood that struck Mokwa on May 29, 2025.
The disaster submerged parts of the town, destroyed homes and infrastructure and left hundreds of people dead or missing.
The Niger State Government later put the death toll at 206, while reporting that 458 homes were completely destroyed, 82 people were injured and 3,534 residents were displaced. The state also said 180 hectares of farmland were submerged.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in an assessment conducted shortly after the disaster, reported that 151 bodies had been recovered, 503 households and 264 houses had been affected and 3,018 people had been displaced at that stage of the response.
The International Organization for Migration also reported that 3,018 people, representing 503 households, were affected by the May 2025 flood, with 92 per cent of assessed houses completely destroyed.
The disaster damaged roads and bridges and severely disrupted economic activities in the town.
The destruction was not limited to the May 2025 disaster.
In September 2026, heavy rainfall washed away a wooden bridge linking Rabba community with Mokwa. The bridge had reportedly been reconstructed several times by residents after the original concrete bridge was destroyed during the 2025 flood.
The collapse left Rabba residents struggling to access farms, schools, healthcare facilities and markets.
The development further heightened concerns about the vulnerability of communities around Mokwa to heavy rainfall and flooding.
Government Announces Flood Control Project
The Niger State Government has announced measures aimed at addressing the flooding and erosion problems in Mokwa.
In July 2026, the Niger State Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project opened bids for the construction of stormwater drainage structures and gully-erosion intervention in Mokwa.
According to the project authorities, the original intervention was designed to address about 5.2 kilometres of gully erosion, but the scope was expanded to approximately 17 kilometres following the devastating 2025 flood.
Niger State officials said the project was intended to address the underlying causes of flooding and erosion, protect lives and property and improve climate resilience in Mokwa and surrounding communities.
However, residents say the latest flooding shows that urgent measures are still needed, particularly around drainage and other flood-prone locations.
“Mokwa has suffered enough from flooding. We need the government and emergency agencies to act before this situation gets worse,” a resident told SaharaReporters.
Another resident called for immediate action rather than waiting for another major disaster.
“We need proper drainage and urgent intervention, not temporary relief after people have already lost their property,” the resident said.
The residents appealed to the Niger State Government, Mokwa Local Government Council, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency and other relevant authorities to assess the affected areas and take immediate steps to prevent the flooding from escalating.
“The government should not wait until people are trapped or lives are lost before taking action. We are appealing to the Niger State Government, Mokwa Local Government and emergency agencies to respond immediately,” another resident said.
They also called for a permanent solution to the recurring flooding problem.
“This is no longer something that should be treated as normal whenever it rains. There has to be a permanent solution to the flooding in Mokwa,” the resident said.
Another resident said the continued flooding had left people uncertain about the safety of their homes whenever heavy rain began.
“After the previous flood disaster, we expected the government to do something to prevent a repeat, but now the water is back again,” the resident said.