Three months after devastating floods swept through Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State and adjoining communities, displacing residents and destroying property, community leaders say the majority of survivors have now received relief support from the government and donor agencies.

The Hausa community leader in Mokwa, Alhaji Tanko Bala, told The Guardian that between 75 and 80 per cent of survivors had so far benefited from cash, food, and household interventions coordinated by the Niger State government, relief agencies, and individuals.

“Out of 100 per cent of the victims, seventy to eighty per cent of survivors have received intervention. Those who have not gotten are about twenty to twenty-five per cent. Some of the surviving victims rushed out of the town to seek succour in nearby villages, and some travelled to their states of origin,” Bala explained.

He commended Governor Umar Bago, his deputy, Comrade Yakubu Garba, and state officials for their quick response to cushion the effects of the disaster, which destroyed 424 homes and shops and killed 138 people. Bala also praised the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) for ensuring relief was shared fairly.

The Secretary of Mokwa Local Council and Chairman of the Relief Committee, Alhaji Dauda Liman, confirmed that both federal and state governments, as well as non-governmental organisations, had contributed generously to support survivors. He said the committee had already distributed cash and other relief items in the first and second batches and that the exercise was continuing. According to him, the committee officially recorded 458 households, each of which received one million naira. A total of 424 destroyed homes and shops were identified, with each owner receiving ₦ 500,000. Families of the 138 deceased victims were also given one million naira each, collected by their next of kin.

Liman appealed for patience from those yet to be captured, assuring that a third batch of distribution is underway. He praised the management and staff of NSEMA for their professionalism and commitment in handling the situation, stressing that officials ensured food and money were prudently distributed.

The Federation of Mokwa Youth Association, represented by its secretary and JNI youth leader, Suleiman Aliyu, also expressed satisfaction with the process, noting that survivors left out earlier had been revalidated and screened, with their details forwarded to NSEMA.

Director of Relief and Rehabilitation at NSEMA, Salihu Garba, said the agency’s success in managing the disaster stemmed from strong cooperation with community-based organisations.

He explained that NSEMA relied on data generated by these groups and that search and rescue operations were carried out jointly with them.

He acknowledged complaints from survivors yet to receive support but assured that a complaints desk had been opened to address grievances.

According to him, the magnitude and sudden nature of the disaster made it impossible to capture everyone at the same time, as some victims were traumatised, some were not available during registration, while others had left the vicinity entirely after their houses were washed away.

Garba thanked the Mokwa Youth Forum, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, the Christian Association of Nigeria, UNICEF, WHO, the village head of Mokwa, Nda Lele, and the Hausa community leadership for assisting in identifying victims.

Some survivors, including Abubakar Sambo Yabo, Ramatu Saidu and Yelow Mai Aliwa, while appreciating the interventions, appealed to the Federal Government to redeem its earlier pledge of constructing new homes for those displaced by the floods.