Niger State Flood Victims Attribute Disaster to Kainji Dam Release
The residents who spoke to Fusion Chronicle reporters on Friday in Mokwa Local Government Area (LGA) reported that the flood, which occurred in the early hours of May 29, 2025, happened without any heavy rainfall the night prior. This has led many to believe that the flood was not caused by a natural event.
Some victims of the Mokwa flood disaster in Niger State have claimed that the devastating incident which claimed over 150 lives and displaced thousands was not caused by rainfall but a suspected release of water from the Kainji Dam.
The residents who spoke to SReporters on Friday in Mokwa, the headquarters of Mokwa local government (LGA), said the flood, which occurred in the early hours of May 29, 2025, came without a heavy rainfall the night before, leading many to believe it was not a natural flood.
Fusion Chronicle Reporters had reported on Friday that at least 115 bodies had been recovered, while many remained missing. The death toll rose to over 150 on Saturday morning.
Several locals also noted that in the days preceding the disaster, parts of New Bussa town in Borgu LGA of Niger State, experienced partial flooding, and some farmers in Mokwa noticed rising water levels across their farmlands but did not anticipate the scale of destruction that followed.
One of the victims, AbdulGafar, who lost everything he had worked for during the flood, insisted the water’s arrival was sudden and unnatural.
“I believe the flood is not as a result of rainfall. If it was rain it would have affected us in the middle of the night or the flood could have come at midnight. It is terrible that we are witnessing this thing in our lives.”
He further explained that although the community had faced serious erosion before, the disaster was unlike anything experienced previously.
“We’ve not had it this bad. We’ve been experiencing erosion, a serious one of that.
“But this is the worst we’ve ever experienced. And I can categorically say that this is not rain.
“But water, which we can actually link to the Kainji Dam, because it was a heavy flood that came.”
Another victim, Salihu Suleiman, who also lost all his properties and investments, also emphasised that no heavy rainfall preceded the flood.
“This flood is not from rain water because there was not that heavy downpour a day before the devastating incident.
“Around 6am, I and my wife woke up to pray subh prayer (morning prayer) to prayed and went back to sleep and 4 to 5 minutes later my mom came knocking at the door she was shouting come out tell your wife to come out and I rushed out she was like water is coming I should call my wife and I called her we ran we ran out that would not pick anything I came out with only my singlet and boxers alone without picking anything not even my phone.”
SaharaReporters previously reported that the flood submerged houses, washed away farmlands, and left thousands stranded across Mokwa.
The flooding also destroyed over 3000 homes, forcing mass displacement.
The Kainji Dam, located on the Niger River near New Bussa in Niger State, is one of West Africa’s largest dams.
It is vital for hydroelectric power generation, irrigation, and water supply in the region.
