ABUJA: At least 151 people have now been confirmed dead after heavy rainfall unleashed flooding in a market town in north-central Nigeria, the local emergency services told The Associated Press on Saturday.

More than 3,000 people were displaced in the flooding in the town of Mokwa in Niger state, more than 300 kilometres west of Abuja, the capital of Africa's most populous nation, Niger state emergency agency spokesman Ibrahim Audu Husseini said.

At least 500 households across three communities were affected in the predawn rain Friday, leaving roofs barely visible and residents waist-deep in water, Husseini added.