Residents were left waist-deep in water. Read more:👇

More than 150 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 have been displaced after relentless rainfall triggered massive flooding in central Nigeria, submerging entire communities and leaving residents clinging to survival.

Heavy pre-dawn storms struck the market town of Mokwa on Friday, turning streets into rivers and swallowing homes. Satellite images and eyewitness accounts reveal rooftops barely visible above the floodwaters, as residents waded waist-deep through debris-filled streets in search of safety.

At least 500 households across three communities were affected, according to Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesman for Niger state’s emergency agency. Mokwa, located about 230 miles west of the capital Abuja, now finds itself at the center of one of the worst climate-related disasters in recent memory.

Northern Nigeria, already grappling with erratic weather patterns driven by climate change, has seen prolonged dry seasons followed by bursts of extreme rainfall—conditions that have turned once-fertile land into a battleground of drought and deluge.

President Bola Tinubu addressed the nation late Friday, announcing that the national emergency response center had been activated.

“Search-and-rescue operations are ongoing,” Tinubu assured. “All relevant federal agencies have been mobilized, and relief materials and temporary shelter are being deployed without delay. We will ensure no Nigerian affected by this tragedy is left behind.”

On Saturday, grief blanketed the community as families mourned the dead and searched desperately for missing loved ones. Among the hardest hit were local farmers and traders who had gathered in Mokwa, a vital agricultural hub where southern buyers come for beans, onions, and other crops grown in the north.

“We lost many lives… our farm produce, everything in storage—gone,” said Kazeem Muhammed, a local resident. “It’s not just the water that has taken from us, it’s our future.”

This disaster comes less than a year after severe flooding in September 2024 forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes and led to a massive prison break, underscoring the fragile infrastructure and increasing vulnerability of communities across Nigeria.

As floodwaters slowly recede, the nation is once again left to reckon with the rising toll of climate change—and the urgent need for sustainable solutions.