Zainab Ali
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said no fewer than 17,000 persons were displaced by flooding in Kaduna and Katsina states between late August and September 2025.
The Head of Operations at NEMA’s Kaduna Office, Suleiman Muhammad, disclosed this on Tuesday during an assessment tour of affected communities following the agency’s relief operations.
Muhammad said the floods, which began in late August 2025, prompted the immediate deployment of search-and-rescue teams in collaboration with other emergency agencies.
“Evacuations were carried out in Kigo Road, Bachama Road in Tudun Wada, Rafin Guza, Haliru Dantoro, Nasarawa and other submerged locations,” he said.
He added that an IDP camp was established on September 13, 2025, at Tudun Wada to accommodate displaced families from Bachama Road, noting that NEMA supplied mattresses, blankets, mosquito nets and other relief materials to support the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency.
According to him, nine communities in Kaduna metropolis recorded 11,919 displaced persons, while Tudun Jukum and Kamacha in Zaria accounted for 1,644 affected residents.
In Katsina State, particularly Kankia Local Government Area, 3,499 persons were displaced across Galadima I, Galadima II and Gachi communities.
Muhammad confirmed three fatalities in Kankia, but stated that no deaths were recorded in Kaduna or Zaria. He added that detailed damage reports had been forwarded to NEMA headquarters for further action.
Residents who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) commended NEMA for its swift intervention, confirming receipt of relief materials.
The Commander of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Kaduna Branch, Ahmad Tijjani, said emergency agencies worked jointly from the onset of the disaster.
“We rescued 43 households and moved them to the Tudun Wada camp. About 239 houses were affected in that community alone,” Tijjani said, adding that minor medical cases such as malaria and diarrhoea were promptly treated by deployed medical teams.
Some beneficiaries, however, called for long-term solutions. Nasiru Suleiman of Bachama Road urged authorities to dredge waterways, noting that flooding has plagued the area for over 30 years.
Rukaiya Muhammad lamented the loss of homes, livelihoods and small businesses, stressing the need for early recovery support, while Amanda Stephen, displaced from Kajuru, called for more durable assistance as several houses were destroyed.
The NEMA team also visited the office of the Senator representing Kaduna Central, where additional relief materials were delivered for onward distribution to flood victims in Kaduna South.
Meanwhile, NEMA disclosed that as of November 4, 2025, flooding had affected 433,578 people across 27 states and 123 local government areas nationwide. Of this figure, 144,790 persons were displaced, 241 lives were lost, 839 persons injured, and 115 reported missing.