Two children have been confirmed dead after being swept away by floodwaters following a torrential downpour in Minna, the capital of Niger State, on Monday.
The incident occurred in the Tunga area after hours of intense rainfall, which overwhelmed the drainage systems, flooded roads, and disrupted movement across the community.
According to eyewitnesses, a 9-year-old girl and her 11-year-old brother were returning from the local Tunga Market, where they had gone to purchase food items. Despite signs of worsening weather, the siblings attempted to make it home under an umbrella during a break in the rain.
Tragically, floodwaters surged back, and the young girl reportedly slipped into an open drainage channel. Her belongings were later found near the edge of the canal—one of the old drainage systems constructed decades ago during the Ibrahim Babangida administration.
The girl’s brother, who witnessed the incident, ran home to alert their family. Hours later, her father was called to identify a child’s body discovered in a drainage outlet along Mandela Road—over five kilometers from the initial location. There, he also discovered another child, an unidentified boy, believed to have been caught in the same flood.
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) said it was not previously informed about the incident. Spokesperson Hussaini Ibrahim expressed sorrow and confirmed that agency officials would visit the bereaved family to gather more details.
This heartbreaking event underscores the dangers of poor drainage infrastructure and urban flooding in Nigeria, especially during the rainy season. It also highlights the urgent need for public awareness and stronger safety measures to protect lives in flood-prone areas.
