Nigeria, June 16 -- When the clouds gathered above Mokwa at the start of the 2025 rainy season, no one reached for a weather almanac; the townspeople needed only memory. They had seen the river climb its banks before, had watched water swirl down gullies that doubled as rubbish dumps, and had heard radio callers warn - almost cheerfully - that nature's annual rehearsal was underway. What they had not felt was the sensation of genuine safety. So, when the torrents finally broke their modest records, they landed on a place that had already surrendered its defences.

Mokwa was never merely a location on a map; it was a warning sign blinking for years. The tragedy that unfolded in June 2025, claiming over 1,300 lives - including 700 children ...