Mokwa Flood Victims Petition EFCC, ICPC Over Alleged Diversion of Relief Materials
By Sabiu Abdullahi
Some victims of the devastating flood that struck Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State have petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission over the alleged diversion of relief materials and funds meant for affected residents.
The petition, dated June 26, 2026, was submitted through I.U. Wali Law Firm on behalf of Isah Abubakar, Hussaini Umar Kwangila, Bilyaminu Umar and other residents of Mokwa LGA.
The flood disaster occurred on May 29, 2025. The incident displaced more than 3,000 residents and claimed about 200 lives.
Following the tragedy, Vice-President Kashim Shettima announced a donation of N2 billion and 20 trucks of grains from the Federal Government to support affected communities. Several organisations and individuals also donated cash and relief materials.
However, the petitioners alleged that the donations did not reach many of the intended beneficiaries.
In the petition addressed to the anti-graft agencies, the residents claimed that officials responsible for handling and distributing the donations mismanaged the support meant for victims.
They further alleged that more than one year after the flood, the donated items and funds had not been “utilised effectively to the benefit of victims”.
The petition accused the Niger State Emergency Management Agency of including names of its staff members among beneficiaries of the cash support.
“Some of the victims were shortchanged as opposed to what they should receive, and some of the victims did not receive anything at all,” the petition reads.
“In fact, some persons who benefited from the relief items were not victims of the flood incident, while some are not residents or natives of Mokwa town. In summary, the donations have been marred by corrupt practices.
“The Niger State Emergency Management Agency compiled a list of flood victims for the distribution of money into their bank accounts.
“The list, which emanated from NSEMA, which is available in the public domain, contains the names of persons that were not affected or victims of the Mokwa flood.
“So, in essence, some people that aren’t affected by the Mokwa flood were listed among those to be compensated, while some victims were not included.”
The petitioners called on the EFCC and ICPC to investigate officials of NSEMA, Mokwa Local Government Area, members of the local organising committee and other persons involved in managing the donations.
They also urged the anti-corruption agencies to examine the list of beneficiaries, identify irregularities and recover any diverted funds or relief materials.