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Flood destroys houses, schools, farms in Plateau, Bauchi, Niger

Published

4 months ago

August 4, 2025

Flood destroys houses, schools, farms in Plateau, Bauchi, Niger

A torrential downpour on Sunday wreaked widespread destruction across communities in Plateau and Bauchi states, leaving scores of houses destroyed, farmlands submerged, and hundreds of residents displaced.

In the Menkaat community, Shimankar district, Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State, over 50 houses, including schools and a worship centre, were destroyed.

Residents said the rainstorm, which began in the early hours, was accompanied by strong winds that uprooted trees, knocked down electric poles, and blew off rooftops, causing several buildings to collapse.

Mazawaje Daniel Danjuma, the councillor representing Shimankar, confirmed the extensive damage, saying that rice farms were especially affected as floodwaters with sand overwhelmed the fields.

“Many residential buildings have collapsed. The intensity of the rainfall also destroyed farms. People have lost a lot,” he said.

Another resident, Mr. Lawrence Longwalk, appealed for urgent government intervention, noting that two primary schools and a worship centre were destroyed.

“From the level of damage, the people need urgent help,” he said.

Bauchi

Meanwhile, a rainstorm also displaced over 40 households and swept away farmlands in Dass Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

Adamu Nayola, Director of Relief and Rehabilitation at the Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), said that although no lives were lost, many victims, especially women and children, are now in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

Nayola blamed the severity of the flooding on a poorly constructed culvert by a road construction company, which failed to handle the heavy volume of water.

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He assured that SEMA had begun assessments and would provide relief materials to affected communities.

Niger

Also, flood submerged several farmlands in parts of Niger State following an early morning rainfall on Sunday in Kafin Koro, Paikoro Local Government Area.

The flooding also affected 18 communities in Lapai Local Government Area, where some farmlands were damaged, and many others remain at risk of being washed away.

Some of the affected communities include Dere, Eshi, Apataku, Tsakanabi, Kuchi Kakanda, Arah, Achiba, Rebba, Ebwa, Pele, Edda, Rigido, Gbami, Yawa, Baka, and Muye.

The state government on Sunday urged riverine communities to relocate to higher grounds, citing intensified rainfall across the state.

In a statement, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication, Media and Strategy, Jonathan Vatsa, acknowledged the emotional ties residents have to their ancestral homes but emphasised the need to comply with the government’s relocation advisory until the rains subside.

“As a government, we will continue to be proactive by appealing to the people, especially those in flood-prone areas, to immediately move upland to avoid another disaster like that of Mokwa,” Vatsa said.

“We understand the strong connection people have to their ancestral lands, but given the current flood alerts and the realities we are already witnessing, it is crucial that they heed this warning.”

“The Mokwa experience is still fresh in our minds, and we cannot afford a repeat. That is why we are urging the people to move to higher ground,” he added.

Vatsa revealed that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had earlier identified 15 out of the state’s 25 local government areas as highly vulnerable to flooding during the rainy season.

FG’s flood warning

The federal government also recently issued a red alert for imminent flooding in 11 states.

The alert, which predicts possible flood events, came from the National Flood Early Warning Centre under the Federal Ministry of Environment.

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Similarly, during the April unveiling of the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, listed several high-risk flood zones.

These include Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Between March and July 2025, over 250 people were killed and thousands displaced due to a series of floods, windstorms, and rainstorms across states including Sokoto, Niger, Kaduna, Taraba, Ekiti, Ogun, and Imo.

The deadliest incident occurred on June 11 in Mokwa, Niger State, where more than 200 people died and dozens went missing after a massive flood submerged large portions of the town.

Just last week, heavy rainfall triggered severe flooding in various parts of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, displacing hundreds of residents.

According to the police, eight buildings collapsed as a result of the flood, though no casualties were recorded.

The affected areas include Bulunkutu, Pompomari Bypass, Damboa Road, Gamboru area, Baga Road, Gwange, Moduganari, Dala, Moranti, and Jiddari Polo.

Many residents expressed fear, recalling the devastation caused by the September 10, 2024, flood.

Meanwhile, in Adamawa State, five people lost their lives and over 50 others were injured following a devastating flood that swept through several communities in Yola North and Yola South Local Government Areas in late July.

The heavy rainfall caused widespread destruction in the affected areas.

The worst-hit communities include Yola Bypass, Sabon Pegi, Yolde Pate, and Modire, where houses were submerged, farmlands destroyed, and roads washed away, hindering both human and vehicular movement.

Flood destroys houses, schools, farms in Plateau, Bauchi, Niger

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Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid

Published

10 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Trends Admin

File photo

Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid

Chairman of Sabon Birni Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Ayuba Hashimu, has dismissed viral reports alleging that bandits attacked a mosque in the council area, killing an Imam and several worshippers.

Some online platforms had circulated claims that armed bandits stormed a mosque in Sabon Birni, murdered the Imam and congregants, and abducted others.
However, Hashimu, speaking by telephone, described the reports as entirely false.

“I don’t know any mosque that was attacked, not to talk of killing of an Imam and worshippers. The story is false,” he stated.

A member of the state legislature representing the area, Hon. Aminu Boza, also debunked the claims, insisting that no mosque attack occurred on Saturday.

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“I don’t know how they got their story, but it is not true. No mosque was attacked by bandits,” he said.

While officials denied the alleged mosque incident, a separate early morning assault on Gatawa town within the same LGA resulted in five deaths and left one person critically injured.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Daily Trust that six people — including two married women, two teenage girls and two young boys — were abducted by attackers suspected to be bandits.

“The bandits invaded our community around 1:30 a.m. and started shooting sporadically. Our vigilantes engaged them, but four of them paid the supreme price on the spot. Two others sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to the hospital, but one later died,” the resident said.

He added that the attackers also stole livestock as they fled.
“We heard them exchanging fire with security agents, but none of the abducted persons was rescued,” he recounted.

Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid

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FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools

Published

10 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Trends Admin

Almajiri school

FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools

The Federal Government has commenced the official recovery of 157 model Almajiri schools built during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, in a renewed push to overhaul Almajiri education across the country.

The move was confirmed by Nura Muhammad, spokesperson for the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSCE), during an interview in Abuja on Sunday. He described the recovery process as a crucial step toward fully revamping and institutionalising Almajiri education.

Muhammad explained that the effort follows the establishment of a legally backed national body now responsible for all Almajiri-related programmes — a structure he said was missing during earlier reform attempts.

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While commending former President Jonathan for constructing the schools, which he described as “a noble and well-intentioned stride toward modernising the system,” Muhammad noted that the previous initiative struggled due to weak policy implementation, including inadequate engagement with Alarammas, the traditional Qur’anic teachers who play a central role in the Almajiri system.

He added that the lack of a strong institutional framework — with the project operating only as an initiative under the Federal Ministry of Education — contributed to its challenges.

According to him, the Commission is now strengthened by law and guided by the newly adopted National Policy on Almajiri Education, positioning it to deliver sustainable reforms.

Muhammad expressed confidence that harmful practices linked to the Almajiri system would be addressed, emphasising that all recovered schools would soon be fully under the Commission’s control and rehabilitated to serve their original purpose.

FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools

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Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu

Published

16 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Trends Admin

Justice Ifeoma Okogwu

Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu

The Delta State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in the investigation into the murder of retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu in Anambra State, arresting key suspects linked to the case.

Spokesperson SP Bright Edafe disclosed on Sunday that operatives of the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), acting on credible intelligence, apprehended 25-year-old security guard Godwin Mngumi on 6 December 2025. Mngumi allegedly murdered the retired judge, and authorities also recovered the deceased’s mobile phone from him.

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According to Edafe, Mngumi confessed to inviting a friend, Nnaji Obalum, and another accomplice — who remains at large — to the residence where the crime was committed. Obalum has since been arrested, while a manhunt continues for the third suspect.

The arrests mark a major step forward in the effort to bring all perpetrators of the high-profile murder to justice.