The downpours lasted for several hours, said the head of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (Nsema), Abullahi Baba-Arah. He added that "surging flood water submerged and washed away over 50 residential houses with their occupants" in the town of Mokwa. Mokwa's District Head, Muhammad Shaba Aliyu, said it has been "60 years" since the community had suffered this kind of flooding. Nigeria often experiences flooding during the rainy season, which usually lasts from April to October. Last year, many parts of northern Nigeria experienced heavy rainfall and flooding which caused deaths, displacement of people and destruction of houses and infrastructure.