By Huldah Shado
Tragedy struck the Tunga community in Minna, Niger State, on Monday, as two children were swept away by floodwaters following hours of heavy rainfall.
The victims included a nine-year-old girl who had gone to the market with her 11-year-old brother to buy soup ingredients.
Despite a brief break in the rain, they were caught in a renewed downpour that led to severe flash flooding in parts of the city.
Eyewitnesses said the girl slipped into an old, uncovered drainage channel. Her slippers and shopping bag were later found near the edge of the channel.
Her brother, unable to rescue her, ran home to alert their parents.
Her body was later discovered several kilometers away along Mandela Road. Shockingly, the remains of another unidentified boy were found at the same location, also believed to have been a victim of the flood.
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), said it was unaware of the incident but pledged to visit the bereaved family.
The agency’s spokesperson, Hussaini Ibrahim, confirmed that officials would meet with the girl’s parents.
This incident adds to growing concerns over urban flooding in the state. In May, over 150 people were reportedly killed in a flood in Mokwa.
Residents and authorities are now calling for urgent improvements to drainage infrastructure and better public awareness on flood safety during the rainy season.