By Bunmi Yekini
Two civil society groups, the Citizens Free Service Forum (CFSF) and the Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), have slammed the Niger State Government for its alleged failure to adequately prepare for the deadly flood that struck Mokwa Town last Thursday, warning that the deplorable state of makeshift camps housing displaced victims may worsen their suffering.
The flood, which followed heavy rainfall on May 29, reportedly killed 159 people and destroyed property worth millions of naira, according to official figures. But civil society actors and local sources suggest the casualty figures could be significantly higher.
In a joint statement released in Abuja, both groups accused the government of shirking its responsibility and failing to heed early warnings by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), which had listed Niger State among high-risk areas in its 2025 seasonal forecast.
“Passing the buck is very worrisome,” the statement read. “In an ideal situation, what we should be hearing is the reprimand of people in authority who failed to act when NIMET warned that Niger State is a high-risk state.”
Executive Director of CFSF, Comrade Sani Baba, said the disaster could have been avoided had the state government taken the forecast seriously and implemented preventive measures.
“The magnitude of the disaster in Mokwa is very disturbing and could have been prevented because NIMET had warned, giving the state government enough time to plan,” he said. “We do not also trust the casualty number the state government is peddling because local sources say it is far higher.”
Baba also noted that lessons from previous disasters, including the Alau Dam collapse in 2024, were clearly not learned.
“We are worried because last year when the Alau Dam collapse happened, we had anticipated that other states would be proactive. But with what happened in Mokwa town, it is evident that most states still treat the issue of climate change and preparedness to address it as child’s play,” he added.
On his part, RDI’s Executive Director, Philip Jakpor, questioned the cause of the flood’s severity, urging the state government to come clean about suspicions of a dam failure.
“The Niger State Government cannot be absolved from the fallout of the flood in Mokwa because we suspect there is more to the volume of water that we saw in amateur videos circulating online,” Jakpor said. “Does it involve a dam as some claim or something else? It is the responsibility of the state government to either substantiate or debunk the reports.”
Jakpor also warned that the government’s reactive approach to flood emergencies is fostering a cycle of exploitation.
“It is becoming evident that disaster capitalists are benefiting from the flood disasters that occur every year due to their reactive approach, which seems to be centered only around sharing palliatives,” he said.
While emergency authorities, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), have reportedly begun distributing relief materials, the two organisations called for a shift toward more proactive disaster management strategies. They urged NEMA to invest in modern equipment such as helicopters and speedboats that can quickly reach remote communities during emergencies.
Additionally, CFSF and RDI urged the state to provide more humane and formal shelter arrangements for displaced persons, noting that the current camps in Mokwa are “unfit for human habitation,” lacking basic needs such as clean water, toilets, and medical supplies.
“This incident should be a wake-up call to other states,” the statement concluded. “We must not wait for disaster to happen before measures are put in place to protect lives and property.”