By Peter Omopo | September 14, 2025
ZARIA, KADUNA — A two-day torrential downpour in Zaria, Kaduna State, has left more than 470 children displaced and destroyed at least 270 homes across several communities.
The rains, which began on Thursday night and lasted until Friday morning, submerged farmlands, collapsed mud walls, and forced families to seek shelter in schools, mosques, and makeshift camps.
“This is the worst flood I have seen in my lifetime,” lamented 70-year-old Alhaji Bala of Magume community. “The water came so fast. It carried away food, clothes, even my provision shop. Now, we have nothing left.”
A joint assessment team comprising officials of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency, and Zaria Local Government Council confirmed the devastation after touring the hardest-hit areas, including Kofar Kuyanbana, Gangaren Mobil, Bayan Cinema, Magume, Bako Zuntu, and Kamacha.
Zaria Local Government Chairman, Alhaji Jamil Jaga, described the incident as “unprecedented and tragic.” He confirmed that while no lives were lost, the destruction of homes and loss of personal belongings had left hundreds in dire need.
“The victims have lost everything—food, clothing, electronics, even documents. We are appealing to state and federal governments, NGOs, and philanthropists for urgent assistance,” Jaga said.
Residents recounted harrowing escapes. Hauwa Mohammed, a mother of four from Bayan Cinema, said her husband had to lift their children onto his shoulders as floodwaters surged into their home at night. Another resident, Malam Ibrahim Sani, said he lost all his property, including his children’s schoolbooks.
The Nigerian Red Cross Society has begun distributing blankets, mosquito nets, and food items to some affected families. But its Zaria Division Chairman, Malam Mohammed Suleiman, stressed that the scale of destruction required wider intervention.
“Many children and women are sleeping in mosques and schools. The relief we are providing is not enough. We urgently need government and private sector support,” Suleiman appealed.
Meanwhile, flooding also wreaked havoc in Kigo Road Extension, Kaduna North Local Government Area, where heavy rains displaced dozens of households. Families were seen stranded by the roadside, drying soaked clothes while awaiting assistance.
One victim, Khadijatu Jatau, a mother of nine, said she barely escaped with her children as water poured into her home around midnight.
Local officials have begun assessments in both areas to determine the full scale of damage and provide further relief.
