The bodies of two children—a nine-year-old girl and a young boy—were found inside a water channel after heavy rainfall flooded parts of Minna, the capital of Niger State, on Tuesday.
The sad incident occurred in the Tunga area of the city. At first, residents believed that only the young girl had died, but her grieving father later found that another child, a boy, had also lost his life in the disaster.
The father, whose family is originally from Edo State, was called to confirm the identity of his daughter. When he arrived, he saw not only his child but also the lifeless body of the unknown boy at the same location.
The girl, who was the only daughter out of three siblings, had been asked to go to the market to buy ingredients for soup. She went along with her older brother, who is 11 years old.
Though it had been raining since early morning, it was not very heavy when they left their house. They carried an umbrella with them just in case the rain started again.
Not long after they set out, the rain returned with strong force. Within a short time, the entire Tunga area was flooded. Water filled the drainages and roads, making it impossible for cars to move. Many drivers had to pull over and wait for the rain to reduce.
On their way back from the market, the children were caught in the rising water. It is believed the girl slipped and fell into the open drainage, and the flood swept her away quickly.
Her brother tried to shout for help, begging neighbors to save his sister, but no one could assist due to the high level of the water and the speed at which it was flowing. They watched, unable to help, as the water carried the girl further away.
The boy then ran back home to tell their parents what had happened. Later that day, the girl’s father was told to come to a tunnel on Mandela Street, which is over five kilometers away from where she had fallen. There, he found both his daughter’s body and the body of another boy who had also died due to the flood.
When contacted on Tuesday night, Hussaine Ibrahim, the spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), said he was shocked to hear about the deaths. He added that the agency would send staff to the family’s home to learn more.
“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,” he said.
