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CrimeNigeria

Nigeria: Flash floods leave dozens dead in Adamawa state

John Silk with AP, AFP
July 29, 2025

The flooding began in the Yola area, displacing 5,560 people so far, according to authorities. At least 11 others remain missing.

A view of damaged area following the floods caused by heavy rains in Niger, Nigeria on May 31, 2025
More than 200 people have been killed in floods in Nigeria since the start of the rainy season [File photo from May 31, 2025]Image: Stringer/Anadolu/picture alliance

Flash floods in Nigeria's Adamawa state have killed at least 23 people and left thousands homeless, the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA) said Tuesday, adding that 11 other people are still missing.

How many people have been displaced by the Nigeria floods?

The flooding, which began on Sunday in five communities in the Yola area of the state, has so far displaced 5,560 people, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

A camp for those uprooted has been set up at Aliyu Musdafa College in Yola, and basic materials have been provided, NEMA said.

"The presence of both governmental and non-governmental partners have been significant, contributing to the effective management of the humanitarian situation," NEMA said in a statement.

Dozens of people were injured as several neighborhoods in Yola, capital of the northeastern state, were submerged on Sunday, the United Nations humanitarian affairs agency OCHA said, before warning citizens "of further rainfall and urging residents in flood-prone areas to move to higher ground."

Are floods common in Nigeria?

Heavy rains tend to hit Nigeria between June and November, triggering floods where weak infrastructure and poor drainage often exacerbate the problem across Africa's most populous country.

More than 200 people have been killed in floods in Nigeria since the start of the rainy season in May this year. Most of those who perished were in the north-central Niger state.

Death toll in Nigeria flooding rises to at least 200

02:36

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In 2024, more than 300 people were killed and over a million displaced in at least 34 out of the country's 36 states, making it one of Nigeria's worst flood seasons in decades, according to OCHA.

Meteorologists have warned of more floods across Nigeria this rainy season.

Scientists have said that climate change is fueling many of these extreme weather occurrences.

Edited by: Sean Sinico

John Silk Editor and writer for English news, as well as the Culture and Asia Desks.@JSilk
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