A tragic incident occurred on Tuesday in Minna, the capital of Niger State, where two children—a nine-year-old girl and an unidentified boy—lost their lives after being swept away by heavy floodwaters during a downpour.
The victims were discovered lifeless in a waterway tunnel along Mandela Street, more than five kilometers from the initial point where the flood reportedly carried them away.
Market Errand Turns Fatal
According to eyewitness accounts from the Tunga community, the young girl, the only daughter of her parents who are originally from Edo State, had gone to Tunga Market—approximately two kilometres away from her home—on an errand to buy soup ingredients. She was accompanied by her 11-year-old elder brother.
Although they left during a light pause in the early morning rains, a sudden torrential downpour resumed, flooding major roads and drainage systems across the area. The intense water current reportedly made mobility difficult for residents and motorists alike.
A Desperate Cry for Help
Tragedy struck while the children were on their way back from the market. The young girl is believed to have slipped and fallen into a flooded drainage channel. Her brother, in a desperate attempt to save her, shouted for help, but residents could only watch helplessly as the powerful floodwaters swept her away.
Unable to do anything, the boy ran home to inform their parents. Later, the father was contacted and asked to identify his daughter’s body, which was found lodged in a drainage tunnel alongside another unidentified young boy, who was also presumed to have drowned in the same flood.
Emergency Response Underway
Reacting to the incident, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) expressed shock. The agency’s spokesperson, Hussaine Ibrahim, noted that while the agency had not initially been aware of the incident, steps were already being taken to engage with the victims’ families.
“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 told Hobnob News on Tuesday night.
The incident has sparked renewed calls for better drainage infrastructure and more responsive early warning systems in flood-prone areas of the state.
