TRAGEDY struck in Minna, the Niger State capital, on Monday when two children were swept away by floodwaters following several hours of relentless rainfall that overwhelmed drainage systems and submerged key parts of the city.
The incident occurred in the Tunga community, where a nine-year-old girl and an unidentified young boy lost their lives.
The girl, the only daughter among three siblings, had been sent with her 11-year-old brother to the Tunga Market—about two kilometers from their home—to buy ingredients for soup.
Despite initial signs of deteriorating weather, the children ventured out under an umbrella during a brief lull in the rain. However, the downpour soon intensified, resulting in dangerous flash floods that filled roads and drainages.
Eyewitnesses said the girl slipped into an open drainage channel believed to have been constructed decades ago by Julius Berger during the Ibrahim Babangida administration. Her slippers and shopping bag were later found at the edge of the channel.
Her brother, unable to save her, ran home to alert their parents. Hours later, her father was called to identify a body found along a drainage outlet on Mandela Road—more than five kilometers from where she disappeared. To his shock, the remains of another unidentified boy were also discovered at the scene, believed to have died in the same flood.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Hussaini Ibrahim, said the agency had not been aware of the incident but assured that officials would visit the family on Tuesday.
“The agency is not aware of the disaster, but my people will visit the home of the girl at Tunga tomorrow to meet with the parents,” Ibrahim stated.
This latest incident adds to rising concerns over urban flooding in Niger State. It follows a devastating flood in Mokwa in May that claimed over 150 lives and destroyed numerous homes.
Authorities and residents are now urging the government to strengthen drainage infrastructure and enhance public awareness on safety during the rainy season to prevent further tragedies.