A 13-year-old Junior Secondary School (JSS) student of Ihyau El-Burhan Academy, Phase 3, Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Alhassan Jamil, was swept away by flood while on his way to school on Wednesday.

The boy’s father, Jamil Maikasuwa, who narrated the incident to our reporter at his Old Kutunku residence, said it occurred at about 7:30am near the Mobil filling station along the Old Kutunku-Market Road, shortly after an early morning rainfall.

He said he had picked up his son on his motorcycle to take him to school after the rain when the teenager fell into a flooded culvert as they attempted to cross a double-cell culvert near the filling station.

According to him, the floodwater had almost covered the culvert, forcing him to apply the brakes and attempt to turn back.

He said his son, apparently frightened by the situation, jumped off the motorcycle and fell into the culvert.

“Immediately he jumped down from the bike, I quickly pushed the bike aside and tried to grab his hand to save him, but unfortunately, the flood swept him away,” he said.

Maikasuwa said his son had initially been reluctant to go with him on the motorcycle because he was accustomed to being taken to school by a commercial cyclist.

He, however, described Alhassan as a brilliant student who consistently came first in his class from nursery one to primary four.

Maikasuwa, who is the Special Assistant to the chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council on Domestic Affairs, said Alhassan was the eldest of his four children.

He said fishermen and divers had been mobilised to search the river for his son’s remains.

“Actually, my son’s corpse is yet to be recovered, even though some residents whose houses are close to the river bank said they sighted the corpse with his school bag strapped to his back floating. We hope that the corpse will be recovered and given a burial,” he said.

An elder brother to Maikasuwa said the incident was the second such occurrence in four days, following the drowning of four people in a canoe accident while crossing a river to a farm in the area.

He said only one of the four bodies had so far been recovered.

Meanwhile, the wife of the chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Mrs Rabiat Kasim Ikwa, who was among the first callers to condole with the family, expressed shock and sadness over the incident.

Some residents living close to the scene also expressed shock, saying the flood suddenly surged from a FADAMA farm with force and swept away the boy.

As of the time of filing this report last night, the boy’s remains had yet to be recovered.

Flood sweeps away 13-year-old girl in Abia

A 13-year-old girl, Adekunle Emanuella Ige, has been swept away by flood in the Agbama area of Umuahia, Abia State.

The incident occurred at about 7pm on Monday during a five-hour rainfall, causing anxiety among residents of the area.

The girl was reportedly sent on an errand during the rain before she fell into a large gutter.

Residents alleged that gutters around Agbama, Road Two and World Bank areas of Umuahia were covered by rising floodwater, making it difficult for the girl to distinguish the drainage channel from the walkway.

Residents of Agbama immediately organised a search party, which extended to the large gutters at Low Cost Housing Estate, World Bank Housing Estate and Umuafai community.

The search continued until about 10:30pm on Monday before it was suspended. It resumed on Tuesday morning but had yet to yield any result as of the time of filing this report.

The girl’s mother, Mrs Adekunle Chinasa Ige, appealed to government agencies and residents to assist in locating her daughter.

Speaking on ABN TV, the mother said Emanuella had been living with her younger sister in Umuahia before the incident.

Mrs Ige said she was in Ohafia, Abia State, when she was informed that her daughter was missing after the rainfall.

She also disclosed that the police had commenced an investigation into the incident, adding that the family was cooperating with the police in the hope of finding her daughter.

“My younger sister said she sent her on an errand yesterday before it started raining. Though it was a little bit cloudy, she gave her an umbrella to go and get something, so that in case it started raining, she would have the umbrella.

“She said she became concerned when Emanuella failed to return home after several hours, prompting a search for her,” the mother said.

She added that the shopkeeper whose shop the girl had been sent to said the rainfall and accompanying flood were so heavy that the drainage channel in front of the shop was covered by water, making it difficult to distinguish the gutter from the walkway.

Mrs Ige expressed concern that her daughter, being a young girl, might not have been able to identify a safe place to step while leaving the shop.

“I’m appealing, please, if there is anything people can do, please help us,” she said.

Abuja’s recurring flood menace

The latest incident in Gwagwalada has again drawn attention to the recurring flooding problem in the Federal Capital Territory, where heavy rainfall has repeatedly overwhelmed drainage channels, roads and waterways.

The FCT was placed on high flood alert in late July after rising water levels on the Gurara River exceeded the warning threshold, with the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NiHSA) warning residents in vulnerable communities to relocate to safer areas where necessary.

In early July, the FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) also barricaded the slip road linking the Goodluck Jonathan Expressway with Ring Road II at Galadimawa ahead of the peak flooding period.

The road had become a recurring danger spot during heavy rainfall, with floodwaters previously sweeping away vehicles and causing fatalities.

The situation worsened in August when heavy rainfall triggered flash floods across several parts of the city.

On August 16, flooding was reported in Wuse 2, Katampe, Mabushi, Lugbe, Nyanya, Gwarinpa, Asokoro, Maitama, Utako, Wuye, Gudu and around the bridge linking Gaduwa and Durumi.

Vehicles were submerged or damaged in some areas, while residents and motorists were stranded.

Another major flooding episode later in August affected several parts of the capital, including Asokoro, Maitama, Guzape, Lokogoma, Garki and Wuse, prompting renewed concerns over the city’s drainage capacity and rapid urban development.

The flooding has also triggered official investigations. Following incidents around Airport Road and Lokogoma, the FCT Administration said it was examining the roles of heavy rainfall and human activities, including developments that allegedly contravened the Abuja Master Plan.

The FCTA subsequently identified inadequate drainage systems, undersized bridges and obstruction of natural waterways as major factors contributing to flash flooding in parts of Abuja.

The recurrence has also raised questions over development control and construction around waterways.

The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, disclosed in September that a director of the Federal Capital Development Authority had been suspended over alleged illegal approvals for developments on waterways. (Daily Trust)