At least two people have been confirmed dead and two others remain missing after floodwaters swept through parts of Zaria, Kaduna State, following a torrential downpour on Monday.
The disaster struck the Tudun Jukun area, where 18-year-old Fatima Sani Danmarke, a student of the School of Basic and Remedial Studies, Funtua, and another student, Yusuf Surajo (popularly called Abba), were carried away by raging waters. Surajo’s body was found on Monday near the Isan Nabawa Primary School bridge in Tudun Wada, while Fatima’s remains were recovered the next day.
Tragically, Fatima had her three-year-old sister, Haneefa, strapped to her back at the time. The toddler remains missing. Eyewitnesses said Fatima and her sister had just alighted from a motorcycle driven by her Islamiyya teacher, known as Mallam Daddy, when she attempted to cross a flooded drainage. She slipped, fell, and was swept away together with the child.
A resident, Mustapha Badamasi Dan Bakano, narrated:
“She tried to cross on foot, but the current was too strong. Within seconds, both she and the little girl disappeared into the water.”
In a desperate rescue attempt, another man jumped into the flood but was also overpowered by the current. His body was later recovered and buried in Tudun Jukun.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that the Tudun Jukun area, which lies close to the Kubanni River, has a long history of flooding. Residents blame the latest disaster on poorly designed drainage along the newly constructed Gaskiya Main Road. While some sections were covered with concrete slabs, the exposed portion where the incident occurred was left open.
The tragedy deepened further when another student, Zainab Abdulkadir, was swept away on the same day while returning from Islamiyya school. Witnesses said despite frantic efforts by swimmers, she could not be rescued. As of Tuesday evening, her body was still missing.
Recurring Flood Disasters in Zaria
This is not the first time floods have claimed lives in Zaria. Just last month, 16-year-old Praise Malachi, a brilliant final-year student of Government Day Secondary School, Samaru, was swept away while hurrying home to check her SSCE results. Her body was later found far away in Hunkuyi, Kudan LGA.
In August, a mother and three children died when a rain-soaked building collapsed in Karauka, Limancin Kona area. The victims’ father, Nuhu Dogara, said he had tried to move his family to a “safer” room, only for the roof to give way, crushing his wife, two children, and a grandson.
On August 27, 2024, Zaria and Sabon-Gari LGAs also witnessed massive flooding that destroyed over 200 houses, damaged schools, and desecrated parts of Hayin Ojo cemetery.
Broader Warnings and Expert Advice
The Federal Ministry of Environment had recently warned that 14 states, including Kaduna, could experience severe flooding between September 4 and 8, 2025. Experts say the disaster in Zaria reflects a failure to heed such warnings.
Dr. Umar Tabari Yero, a lecturer at Kaduna State University and resident of Zaria, described the incidents as “avoidable,” urging parents and communities to respect weather forecasts.
“Children should not be allowed outdoors during or immediately after rainfall. Roads become death traps as ditches and drainage are hidden beneath water,” he said.
He further advised teachers against releasing pupils immediately after rain and stressed the need for communities to factor weather forecasts into movement, housing, and urban planning.
Lagos Flooding Paralyses Movement
In Lagos, Monday’s downpour left motorists stranded along Ikorodu Road, Anthony, and Maryland, where flash floods submerged parts of Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way and adjoining streets. Pedestrians waded through waist-high water, while traffic gridlock extended across the Odo-Iyalaro Bridge.
Businesses and residences in Maryland and Oba Akinjobi Way were affected, with reports indicating that the flooding disrupted flight operations at the Lagos airport, forcing airlines to delay departures.
Residents once again called on the Lagos State Government and emergency agencies to step up flood control efforts, lamenting that flash floods now routinely paralyse the city after heavy rainfall.
With the rainy season intensifying, experts warn that without urgent drainage improvements, stronger flood preparedness, and community vigilance, more lives and livelihoods across Nigeria could be lost to preventable disasters.
