A nine-year-old girl and an unidentified boy were pronounced dead on Monday afternoon in Minna, the capital of Niger State, after they were swept away by floodwaters.
Following hours of persistent rain that flooded the Tunga community, overflowed drainage systems, submerged roads, and halted movement in the area.
The girl, who is said to be the only of three siblings, was taken to the Tunga Market, which is located about two kilometers from her home, to purchase ingredients for soup, according to Channels Television.
Her 11-year-old brother accompanied her.
The children set out under an umbrella during a rain delay despite the early indications of the weather’s deterioration.
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According to eyewitnesses, the rain quickly intensified, creating flash floods that filled the streets and flooded the open drainages.
When the girl allegedly slipped into one of Julius Berger’s major drainage channels during the Ibrahim Babangida military administration after returning from the market, the children were reportedly hit by the deluge.
At the edge of the channel, she discovered her slippers and nylon shopping bag.
Residents claim that her brother tried to sound the alarm and call for help as he watched his sister being swept away, but bystanders were unable to assist due to the floodwaters’ strength and height.
The boy returned home to alert their parents.
More than five kilometers from the girl’s fall site, the girl’s father was contacted to find a corpse at a drainage outlet along Mandela Road.
Surprisingly, he discovered the body of both his daughter’s and another child’s body, both of which are thought to have perished in the same flood.
Hussaini Ibrahim, the agency’s public relations representative, stated that the incident was unrelated to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) and that it was unaware of the tragedy.
He told Channels Television, “The agency is unaware of the disaster, but my people will meet with the girl’s parents at home in Tunga tomorrow.”
The most recent incident underscores the need for improved drainage and public safety awareness during the rainy season in the Niger State.
Source: Channels TV
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