It was supposed to be just another rainy season. But last week in Kogi State, the skies opened with an unforgiving downpour that turned calm rivers into raging floods. Within hours, whole communities were swallowed by water. Streets disappeared, homes crumbled, and families ran for their lives carrying nothing but hope.
For many, there was no time to think — only to act. Mothers held their children high above the water, fathers waded through the current trying to save whatever belongings they could. “I watched my house collapse,” said 52-year-old Ibrahim Musa, his voice breaking. “Everything I worked for, gone in one night. But I thank God my children are alive.”
Acts of Courage Amid the Chaos
In the middle of the destruction, humanity revealed its brightest colors. Neighbors became rescuers. Teenagers tied ropes from tree to tree to help people cross the swollen waters. A young boy named Sule, just 12 years old, became a hero when he carried a toddler he didn’t even know to safety. “I just didn’t want him to drown,” he said quietly, his small frame shaking from the cold. His courage spread across the camp, reminding everyone that even in darkness, light shines.
Life in the Camps
Today, hundreds of families live in makeshift relief centers — crowded school halls, churches, and mosques that have been turned into shelters. Privacy is gone; survival is the only focus. Families share single mattresses, and food is stretched so thin that mothers often give up their portion so their children can eat.
Yet, the human spirit refuses to break. At night, songs rise in unison. Groups gather to pray, sing, and remind one another that storms do not last forever. Children, even in their innocence, play with sticks and stones, turning the camp into an unlikely playground. Their laughter is fragile, but it carries strength.
The Silent Grief
But behind every smile lies grief. Some lost their homes, others lost loved ones. A grandmother named Aisha clutched a faded photograph of her daughter who never made it out of the flood. She whispered, “The water took her, but I keep her here,” pressing her hand to her chest.
Her story is one among many. Every face in the camp tells a tale of survival, of loss, of resilience.
A Call for Unity
These floods are more than a natural disaster; they are a test of humanity. They remind us that what defines us is not the crisis itself, but how we respond to it. Today, strangers eat from the same plate, sleep side by side, and share a single prayer: “Let tomorrow be better.”
In tragedy, a community became family. And though the waters have stolen homes, they could not wash away hope.
