Latest news with #BolaTinubu
Arab News
an hour ago
- General
- Arab News
21 athletes killed in Nigeria road crash
ABUJA: A bus crash on a Nigerian highway on Saturday killed 21 athletes returning from a national sports tournament, with authorities saying the accident might have been the result of driver fatigue or excessive speed. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said the afternoon crash, which did not involve other vehicles, 'might have occurred as a result of fatigue and excessive speed' after a long overnight trip. The athletes were returning to Kano, in Nigeria's north, from the 22nd National Sports Festival, held around 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) to the south in Ogun state. President Bola Tinubu had recently said the games, which included sports ranging from wheelchair basketball to traditional west African wrestling, represented 'the unity, strength and resilience that define us as a nation.' Road accidents are common on Nigeria's poorly maintained roads due largely to speeding and a disregard for traffic rules. Last year Nigeria recorded 9,570 road accidents that resulted in 5,421 deaths, according to FRSC data.
BBC News
6 hours ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Nigeria flash floods death toll rises to at least 151
At least 151 people in central Nigeria are now known to have died following flash floods that destroyed homes and displaced thousands of residents earlier this Niger State Emergency Management Agency (Nsema) confirmed to the BBC the death toll had risen sharply from 115, after floods hit the town of Mokwa.A Nsema spokesman told the BBC more than 500 households with a population in excess of 3,000 people were affected. Some families are said to have lost between two and five relatives including agency warned the death toll could rise further after people were washed into the River Niger below the town. Local authorities said 11 people had been rescued and taken to hospitals for treatment. Nsema said the Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa districts of Mokwa were worst district head Muhammad Shaba Aliyu said it has been 60 years since the community had suffered this kind of flooding."I beg the government to support us," Mr Aliyu the officials appear to be overwhelmed by the scale of destruction as families desperately seek food and shelter. Mokwa is located at the edge of the River Niger, a transit point between the northern and southern part of Nigeria.A bridge linking the northern and south-western parts of the country has collapsed in the floods and left motorists President Bola Tinubu directed "all relevant emergency and security agencies to intensify ongoing search and rescue operations".Torrential rain fell in the region on late Wednesday into Thursday, causing flash floods. Nigeria's rainy season is just beginning and usually lasts from April to have warned of heavy downpours in at least 15 of the country's 36 states.
Al Jazeera
8 hours ago
- Climate
- Al Jazeera
Nigeria floods death toll crosses 150 as thousands displaced
More than 150 people have been killed and thousands displaced after floods devastated parts of central Nigeria, local authorities said, as rescue teams continue to recover bodies and search for the missing. The flooding struck the rural town of Mokwa in Niger State following torrential rains that began late on Wednesday and continued into Thursday. The death toll has risen to 151 after more bodies were recovered nearly 10km (6 miles) from Mokwa, said Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) on Saturday. At least 3,018 people have been displaced, while 265 houses were 'completely destroyed' in the floods, he said, adding that many victims were believed to have been swept down the Niger River, warning that the toll could still Bola Tinubu extended his condolences overnight and said search-and-rescue operations were ongoing with the support of Nigeria's security forces. 'Relief materials and temporary shelter assistance are being deployed without delay,' he wrote in a post on social media. 'We lost everything, the families. We don't have anywhere else to go, the property has gone,' Mohammed Tanko, a local, told Al Jazeera. 'We lost at least 15 from this house.' Another survivor said: 'I escaped with only my nightdress. Right now, I can't even identify where our home used to be.' Meteorologists warn that more rain is expected in the coming days, raising fears of further flooding across the region. Flooding is a regular threat during Nigeria's six-month rainy season, but experts say the frequency and severity of these disasters are increasing due to climate change, unregulated construction, and poor drainage infrastructure. 'Flooding has become an annual event, between the months of April and October,' Ugonna Nkwunonwo, a flood risk analyst at the University of Nigeria, told Al Jazeera. He warned that while flood risks have long been identified, 'there has not been much political power to implement this change'. 'This flooding is a result of climate change, which is affecting the frequency and intensity of rainfall,' he said. 'The amount of rain you expect in a year could probably come in one or two months, and people are not prepared for that kind of rainfall.' Last year, more than 1,200 people died and up to two million were displaced by similar disasters across Nigeria. 'This tragic incident serves as a timely reminder of the dangers associated with building on waterways and the critical importance of keeping drainage channels and river paths clear,' the National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement.
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
More than 150 are dead and 3,000 made homeless as rainfall unleashes massive flooding in Nigeria
More than 150 people are dead and at least 3,000 have lost their homes after torrential rainfall unleashed massive flooding in Nigeria. Heavy pre-dawn showers lashed a market town on Friday, leaving roofs barely visible and residents waist-deep in water. The rain affected at least 500 households across three communities in Mokwa, about 230 miles west of Nigeria's capital Abuja, Niger state agency spokesman Ibrahim Audu Husseini said. Communities in northern Nigeria have been experiencing prolonged dry spells worsened by climate change and excessive rainfall that leads to severe flooding during the brief wet season. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said he has directed the activation of the national emergency response centre to quickly assist the state. 'Search-and-rescue operations are ongoing, and all relevant federal agencies have been mobilised to support the state government's efforts,' Mr Tinubu said in a late night message. 'Relief materials and temporary shelter assistance are being deployed without delay. We will ensure that no Nigerian affected by this disaster is left behind or unheard of.' More than 150 people are dead and at least 3,000 have lost their homes after torrential rainfall unleashed massive flooding in Nigeria Residents were mourning the dead on Saturday as some awaited news of their loved ones still unaccounted for. They also lamented the destruction caused in the town, a major meeting point where traders from the south buy beans, onions and other food from farmers in the north. 'We lost many lives, and the properties, our farm produce. Those that have their storage have lost it,' said resident Kazeem Muhammed. It comes after in September 2024 hundreds of thousands in Nigeria fled their homes to avoid sweeping floods that devastated the country and allowed nearly 300 prisoners to escape a single jail. Maiduguri, the capital of the northern Borno state, suffered its worst floods in decades, which decimated a dam that was holding back the water. The flood killed at least 30 people according to the country's emergency agency and affected a million others, with hundreds of thousands of people forced into camps for displaced people. In Maiduguri, the floods 'brought down the walls of the correctional facilities including the Medium Security Custodial Centre, as well as the staff quarters in the city,' officials said. This lead to nearly 300 prisoners escaping. But, regular citizens weren't quite as lucky. Fatima Yakubu told AFP she woke up in the middle of the night to find her legs submerged as water rose in her home in northeastern Nigeria. She screamed and people helped her escape with her six children. Flood waters displaced more than one million people in and around Maiduguri and thousands of homes were engulfed by rapidly rising waters after a dam burst following two days of torrential rain.
The Advertiser
9 hours ago
- Climate
- The Advertiser
Death toll rises in Nigeria town submerged in floods
The death toll from devastating flooding in a market town in Nigeria's north-central state of Niger has risen to at least 151, the local emergency service says, amid efforts to find more victims. Torrents of pre-dawn rain early on Thursday unleashed the devastating flood on Mokwa, nearly 380 kilometres west of Abuja and a major trading and transportation hub where northern Nigerian farmers sell beans, onions and other food to traders from the south. As well as the rising death toll, 11 people were injured and more than 3000 people were displaced, the official added. At least 500 households across three communities were affected by the sudden and intense flood that built rapidly in about five hours, leaving roofs barely visible and surviving residents waist-deep in water, trying to salvage what they could and rescue others. Husseini said two roads were washed away and two bridges collapsed. In a statement on Friday night, President Bola Tinubu expressed condolences and said he had directed the activation of an emergency response to support victims and "accelerate" recovery. He said that security agencies have also been asked to assist in emergency operations, which remain under way amid concerns that more bodies could be recovered in remote areas. "Relief materials and temporary shelter assistance are being deployed without delay," the president said, promising "no Nigerian affected will be left behind or unheard of". Flooding is common during Nigeria's wet season. Communities in northern Nigeria have been experiencing prolonged dry spells worsened by climate change and excessive rainfall that leads to severe flooding during the brief wet season. But this flood has been particularly deadly in Mokwa, a farming region near the banks of the River Niger. Mokwa community leader Aliki Musa told the AP the villagers were not used to such flooding. The chairman of the Mokwa local government area, Jibril Muregi, told local news website Premium Times that construction of flood-control works was long overdue. The death toll from devastating flooding in a market town in Nigeria's north-central state of Niger has risen to at least 151, the local emergency service says, amid efforts to find more victims. Torrents of pre-dawn rain early on Thursday unleashed the devastating flood on Mokwa, nearly 380 kilometres west of Abuja and a major trading and transportation hub where northern Nigerian farmers sell beans, onions and other food to traders from the south. As well as the rising death toll, 11 people were injured and more than 3000 people were displaced, the official added. At least 500 households across three communities were affected by the sudden and intense flood that built rapidly in about five hours, leaving roofs barely visible and surviving residents waist-deep in water, trying to salvage what they could and rescue others. Husseini said two roads were washed away and two bridges collapsed. In a statement on Friday night, President Bola Tinubu expressed condolences and said he had directed the activation of an emergency response to support victims and "accelerate" recovery. He said that security agencies have also been asked to assist in emergency operations, which remain under way amid concerns that more bodies could be recovered in remote areas. "Relief materials and temporary shelter assistance are being deployed without delay," the president said, promising "no Nigerian affected will be left behind or unheard of". Flooding is common during Nigeria's wet season. Communities in northern Nigeria have been experiencing prolonged dry spells worsened by climate change and excessive rainfall that leads to severe flooding during the brief wet season. But this flood has been particularly deadly in Mokwa, a farming region near the banks of the River Niger. Mokwa community leader Aliki Musa told the AP the villagers were not used to such flooding. The chairman of the Mokwa local government area, Jibril Muregi, told local news website Premium Times that construction of flood-control works was long overdue. The death toll from devastating flooding in a market town in Nigeria's north-central state of Niger has risen to at least 151, the local emergency service says, amid efforts to find more victims. Torrents of pre-dawn rain early on Thursday unleashed the devastating flood on Mokwa, nearly 380 kilometres west of Abuja and a major trading and transportation hub where northern Nigerian farmers sell beans, onions and other food to traders from the south. As well as the rising death toll, 11 people were injured and more than 3000 people were displaced, the official added. At least 500 households across three communities were affected by the sudden and intense flood that built rapidly in about five hours, leaving roofs barely visible and surviving residents waist-deep in water, trying to salvage what they could and rescue others. Husseini said two roads were washed away and two bridges collapsed. In a statement on Friday night, President Bola Tinubu expressed condolences and said he had directed the activation of an emergency response to support victims and "accelerate" recovery. He said that security agencies have also been asked to assist in emergency operations, which remain under way amid concerns that more bodies could be recovered in remote areas. "Relief materials and temporary shelter assistance are being deployed without delay," the president said, promising "no Nigerian affected will be left behind or unheard of". Flooding is common during Nigeria's wet season. Communities in northern Nigeria have been experiencing prolonged dry spells worsened by climate change and excessive rainfall that leads to severe flooding during the brief wet season. But this flood has been particularly deadly in Mokwa, a farming region near the banks of the River Niger. Mokwa community leader Aliki Musa told the AP the villagers were not used to such flooding. The chairman of the Mokwa local government area, Jibril Muregi, told local news website Premium Times that construction of flood-control works was long overdue. The death toll from devastating flooding in a market town in Nigeria's north-central state of Niger has risen to at least 151, the local emergency service says, amid efforts to find more victims. Torrents of pre-dawn rain early on Thursday unleashed the devastating flood on Mokwa, nearly 380 kilometres west of Abuja and a major trading and transportation hub where northern Nigerian farmers sell beans, onions and other food to traders from the south. As well as the rising death toll, 11 people were injured and more than 3000 people were displaced, the official added. At least 500 households across three communities were affected by the sudden and intense flood that built rapidly in about five hours, leaving roofs barely visible and surviving residents waist-deep in water, trying to salvage what they could and rescue others. Husseini said two roads were washed away and two bridges collapsed. In a statement on Friday night, President Bola Tinubu expressed condolences and said he had directed the activation of an emergency response to support victims and "accelerate" recovery. He said that security agencies have also been asked to assist in emergency operations, which remain under way amid concerns that more bodies could be recovered in remote areas. "Relief materials and temporary shelter assistance are being deployed without delay," the president said, promising "no Nigerian affected will be left behind or unheard of". Flooding is common during Nigeria's wet season. Communities in northern Nigeria have been experiencing prolonged dry spells worsened by climate change and excessive rainfall that leads to severe flooding during the brief wet season. But this flood has been particularly deadly in Mokwa, a farming region near the banks of the River Niger. Mokwa community leader Aliki Musa told the AP the villagers were not used to such flooding. The chairman of the Mokwa local government area, Jibril Muregi, told local news website Premium Times that construction of flood-control works was long overdue.
