A devastating midnight flood has wreaked havoc across four communities in Niger State’s Bida Local Government Area, leaving destruction in its wake and exposing deep cracks in the state’s disaster preparedness.
The downpour, which began late Friday, June 13, and intensified into the early hours of Saturday, triggered flash floods that pounded the communities of Manmusa Kodogi, Efuliman Nasara, Emiyagi, and Tako Malam Halidu. Dozens of houses were torn apart by the raging waters, with one resident reportedly sustaining severe injuries and currently receiving treatment at a local health centre.
Sources who spoke to SaharaReporters described a night of terror, with torrents of water smashing through mud and concrete structures, uprooting belongings, and displacing scores of families.
“This was not just rain. It was a calamity. Everything happened so fast — roofs collapsed, walls crumbled, and people ran for their lives,” said a local resident from Emiyagi.
Confirming the incident, the acting Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Hussaini Ibrahim, said the flood was part of a broader pattern of destructive rainfall across the state.
> “There are reports of several flash-flood incidents across Niger State as a result of the heavy downpour that happened between yesterday night and this morning,” Ibrahim told SaharaReporters.
“Our teams are currently on ground to assess the extent of the damage.”
Emergency response personnel from NSEMA have since been deployed to the affected communities to coordinate relief efforts and provide urgent support to displaced residents.
This latest disaster follows closely on the heels of another round of flooding in Kpautagi, Mokwa Local Government Area, which submerged homes and left residents stranded after a prolonged early morning rainfall on Saturday, June 14. Verified video footage obtained by SaharaReporters shows floodwaters rising above knee-level, with panicked villagers scrambling for higher ground.
As of the time of reporting, officials have yet to determine the full scale of damage or the number of displaced persons in Kpautagi. However, locals fear a repeat of last year’s catastrophic floods in Mokwa, which claimed over 200 lives and displaced thousands.
> “We are used to heavy rains, but not like this. Every year, it’s getting worse, and the government always promises, but nothing changes,” said a visibly distraught woman from Tako Malam Halidu.
The tragic flooding comes amid revelations that the Niger State Government lavishly spent N5.7 billion on honorariums and sitting allowances between January 2024 and March 2025 — a staggering amount that dwarfs allocations to erosion and flood control.
According to a SaharaReporters review of the state’s budget performance documents:
N4.813 billion was spent on honorariums in 2024,
N949.2 million was spent between January and March 2025,
Yet, far less was invested in essential flood control and mitigation measures.
The discrepancy has sparked public outrage, with many accusing the state government of gross negligence and misplaced priorities in the face of recurrent humanitarian disasters.
> “It’s heartbreaking to see families lose everything while our leaders fatten their pockets with allowances. This is a betrayal,” lamented a youth activist in Bida.
As torrential rains continue to batter parts of Niger State and forecasts predict further downpours, questions are mounting over the government’s readiness — or lack thereof — to safeguard lives and property from the increasing threat of climate-related disasters.
PIONEER NEWS 