Tag: Mokwa flood

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, has dismissed claims that the devastating flood in Mokwa, Niger State, on May 29, 2025, was triggered by the release of water from the Kainji or Jebba dams.

Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, Utsev assured the public that both dams remain intact and safe, debunking widespread speculation linking them to the disaster, which claimed lives and displaced many residents.

“The flood was primarily due to heavy rainfall driven by extreme weather conditions associated with climate change, which overwhelmed Mokwa’s drainage capacity,” the Minister explained.

He further noted that unregulated construction had obstructed a seasonal tributary of River Dingi—an offshoot of the River Niger—intensifying the flood’s impact.

Prof. Utsev praised the rapid intervention by the Niger State Government, local authorities, and emergency responders, and extended the federal government’s condolences and support to the affected communities.

He also revealed that the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), under his ministry, had previously issued warnings about potential flooding in Mokwa and 18 other local government areas in Niger State in its 2025 Annual Flood Outlook released on April 10.

According to the forecast, 1,249 communities in 176 local government areas across 33 states and the FCT fall within high flood risk zones, while 2,187 communities in 293 LGAs face moderate flood risk. High-risk states include Niger, Lagos, Kogi, Bayelsa, Jigawa, Benue, Kebbi, and Rivers, among others.

Read Also: Mokwa flood: 200 bodies recovered, 1,000 still missing

Reiterating the ministry’s earlier warnings, Utsev urged states and local governments to urgently strengthen their drainage infrastructure, relocate communities from flood-prone areas, increase public awareness campaigns, and enforce land-use regulations to stop encroachments.

“The AFO not only predicts flood risks at LGA and community levels but also provides recommendations for adaptation and mitigation. We urge stakeholders to use the NIHSA flood forecast dashboard to guide proactive measures,” he said.

He described the Mokwa flood as a “stark reminder” of the growing impacts of climate change on Nigeria’s water systems and emphasized the ministry’s commitment to managing water resources sustainably and building climate-resilient communities.

Utsev disclosed that technical teams from NIHSA, the Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority, and the National Water Resources Institute are already in Mokwa assessing the disaster and will provide a detailed report soon.

Meanwhile, a top official in the ministry who spoke off the record told The Nation that the Federal Government had already disbursed funds to states for the maintenance, upgrade, and expansion of drainage systems in flood-prone areas.

She claimed many state governors failed to utilize the funds, which she blamed for the scale of the devastation in Mokwa.

“The truth is that these deaths are not because of dam releases or federal inaction. It is the negligence of some governors who did not deploy the funds released to them for flood control,” she said.

The ministry restated its condolence to the people and Government of Niger State, calling for nationwide collaboration across all levels of government, civil society, and the private sector to address what it described not just as a natural disaster, but a developmental challenge.

…Peter Obi visits Niger governor over Mokwa flood

The death toll from the devastating Mokwa flood in Niger State has risen to 200, with over 1,000 people still missing, according to the state’s Deputy Governor, Comrade Yakubu Garba.

Garba revealed the grim figures while receiving former presidential candidate Peter Obi, who paid a condolence visit to the Government House in Minna over the disaster.

The Deputy Governor disclosed that more than 3,000 people have been displaced and over 2,000 houses have been affected by the flood. He added that the number of bodies recovered continues to rise hourly as families desperately search for missing loved ones.

He expressed deep concern that many of the missing persons are now feared dead, calling the situation one of the most tragic in recent times.

“We cannot give you exact interim statistics because even yesterday, whatever we have seen before yesterday, the number has gone up. If we say this is the number today, the next day, you see the number go up again. But I know from the people that there were people displaced, and nobody has seen them.

“For now, we don’t know where they are and our solution. Those people have actually been swept off by water, and the number is not less than 1,000. We have reviewed house to house, and based on the household, the number of people that are yet to be seen is more than 1,000.

“But the dead that have been seen, physically dead, they are almost close to 200 now. And the displaced persons are more than 3,000 plus and the affected properties are more than 2,000. There are some roads that have been washed away, and about three bridges have collapsed due to the wave of this river.

“So nobody can ascertain exactly the figure of what has happened. You can only see what you see at that moment. But actually in our time, you will see that number continue scaling up.”

Former Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi said he was in Niger state Government House to condole with the state government over the Mokwa flood where over 153 people died and several houses destroyed leaving thousands of people displaced lamenting over the number of people who lost their lives saying he was in the state to show solidarity with the people.

Read Also: Mokwa flood: Death toll rises to 153

“And our people lost their lives. It is critical. So we are just here to condole and show our solidarity and continue to assure you that for me, for Nigeria, these are states we need to invest in.

“We felt that we had to do so physically to visit here, condole you and show solidarity because whatever happened here happened in Nigeria. And we’re all Nigerians. And we are brothers and sisters. May those who die in eternal rest comfort their families and the good people of Niger State and continue to bless the families and the good people of Niger State.”

Obi who was in the company with former Minister of Finance, Mr Bernadus Phan called for more investment in Niger and Borno states because of their advantages in agriculture stressing that whatever happens in Niger state affects Nigeria.

“Niger stare is one state I still maintain and believe that can help to change Nigeria. Nigeria has no reason to be part of countries that should be counted as the hungriest countries of the world. We shouldn’t be. Because God gave us what can pull us there.

“We can make more money from agriculture than we can from oil. Oil is a diminishing asset. Agriculture is Nigeria’s future asset because people must eat and no other state holds key to that than Niger state. So we can do more. All we need as a nation is to invest in these two states.

“These are states we need to invest in. These are oil. If we put our resources into it, we could generate what we are not making from oil from them. So we are here to condole you”, he said.

Obi donated the sum of N20 million to the victims of the flood while commending the state government for its response efforts and called for more action to mitigate the effects of natural disasters.