Pregnant Displaced Woman Found Dead Along Mokwa Railway After Food Search

MOKWA — A heavily pregnant internally displaced woman has been found dead along a railway line in Mokwa, Niger State, after leaving an informal camp to search for food.

The woman reportedly left the camp on Sunday morning to gather Cassia tora, locally known as “Tafasa”, which displaced residents use as food.

A resident, Mohammed Umaru, said she left at about 8am and did not return. Other displaced persons and residents later searched for her and found her body near the railway line.

Umaru alleged that the woman had been stabbed and that her unborn child had been removed.

That allegation has not been independently established.

As of the latest report, the Niger State Police Command had not publicly confirmed the circumstances surrounding the death.

The woman was reportedly among people displaced from communities in Kwara State following attacks by suspected terrorists.

She and other displaced people had reportedly been living in an unfinished building behind Dufya Primary School.

The circumstances make the incident more than another crime report.

A pregnant woman left a place of displacement to look for something to eat. She did not return.Her death highlights the vulnerability of people living outside formal camps and the risks faced by women who must leave unsafe settlements to search for food.

Mokwa has already suffered a major humanitarian disaster. The 2025 floods destroyed hundreds of informal settlements, killed more than 160 people and displaced thousands, according to humanitarian assessments.

The latest death comes against that wider background of displacement, insecurity, food pressure and weak shelter conditions.

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The investigation must now establish what happened to the woman, who was responsible and whether anyone can be held accountable.

Until then, claims about the circumstances of her death should remain clearly identified as allegations. ValidViewNetwork reports that police confirmation of the incident was still pending at the time of the latest available report.