Floodwaters rose like a slow-moving tide, sweeping through Kaduna and Katsina and driving close to 17,000 people from their homes, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.
Suleiman Muhammad, Head of Operations at NEMA’s Kaduna office, said on Tuesday that the floods, which began in late August, triggered immediate deployment of joint search-and-rescue teams. Evacuations were carried out across Kigo Road, Bachama Road in Tudun Wada, Rafin Guza, Haliru Dantoro, Nasarawa and other submerged areas.
An IDP camp was established on September 13 in Tudun Wada to accommodate families uprooted from Bachama Road. NEMA supplied mattresses, blankets, mosquito nets and other relief materials to support state-led emergency efforts.
In Kaduna metropolis, nine communities recorded 11,919 displaced residents, while Zaria’s Tudun Jukum and Kamacha accounted for 1,644 more. Katsina’s Kankia Local Government Area saw 3,499 people displaced across Galadima I, Galadima II and Gachi. Three deaths were confirmed in Kankia; no fatalities were recorded in Kaduna or Zaria.
Damage reports have been forwarded to NEMA headquarters for further action.
Displaced residents who spoke to NAN acknowledged receiving emergency supplies and praised the swift intervention. The Nigerian Red Cross Society’s Kaduna Commander, Ahmad Tijjani, noted that 43 households were rescued and moved to the Tudun Wada camp, with 239 houses affected in that community alone. Medical teams treated cases of malaria and diarrhea.
Yet the human toll lingered beneath the statistics. Nasiru Suleiman of Bachama Road urged authorities to dredge waterways, noting that floods have haunted the community for over 30 years. Rukaiya Muhammad recounted the loss of homes and livelihoods, while Amanda Stephen from Kajuru appealed for durable support to rebuild lives and structures washed away.
NEMA officials also visited the office of the senator representing Kaduna Central, delivering more relief materials for distribution in Kaduna South.
National data paints an even broader picture: as of November 4, 433,578 people had been affected by flooding across 27 states. A total of 144,790 were displaced, 241 lives lost, 839 injured, and 115 declared missing.
