Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State has revealed that non-indigenes accounted for more than half of the victims affected by the recent flood disaster in Mokwa, describing the incident as a national tragedy that transcended ethnic lines.
Speaking on Tuesday through his deputy, Comrade Yakubu Garba, the governor made the disclosure while receiving a humanitarian donation from Veritas University, Abuja, at the Government House, Minna.
The flood, which struck Mokwa town—the headquarters of Mokwa Local Government Area—on May 29, left hundreds displaced and several households in urgent need of support.
“The Mokwa flood was a national disaster,” Bago said. “The majority of the victims were not indigenes. We had a large number of Hausa, Yoruba, and other ethnic groups affected. Indigenes of Mokwa were in the minority.”
According to him, the state government has commenced comprehensive documentation of victims, including the collation of bank account details for direct disbursement of relief funds contributed by various donors.
He added that although the Accountant General was still reconciling the total amount received from public and private donors, each affected household is expected to receive a minimum of N1 million in cash relief from the state government.
“We are ensuring accountability and transparency in the process,” the governor emphasized. “Our teams conducted enumeration and validation to verify the data.
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) is now on the ground collecting bank account details, including those of next of kin for deceased victims.”
Bago noted that as soon as relief items and financial support are fully disbursed, the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps would be shut down.
“If we keep people in camps when they have relatives who can take them in, we are disempowering them. We want them to rebuild and take control of their lives,” he added.
In addition to direct support to victims, the governor announced that families hosting displaced persons would also benefit from relief packages as part of government efforts to encourage community support.
Veritas University, a Catholic Church-owned institution, became the first faith-based body to make a formal donation to the victims.
Presenting the items on behalf of the university, the Dean of the Faculty of Education, Rev. Dr. Peter Bakwaph, said the school was compelled to act after learning that some of its students lost family members to the disaster.
The donated items included 150 mattresses, mosquito repellents, and other relief materials.
Vice-Chancellor of the University, Rev. Fr. Professor Hyacinth Ichoku, who was represented by Dr. Bakwaph, expressed solidarity with the victims and called for collective national support.
PLATFORM TIMES recalls that the May 29 flood swept through large portions of Mokwa town after hours of torrential rain, submerging homes, farmlands, and displacing scores of residents.
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