Flood sweeps away primary six pupil returning from school in Ketu, Lagos

A primary six pupil, simply identified as Joshua, was swept away by a flood in the Ikosi, Ketu area of Lagos State.

The pupil was returning home from school with his classmates when the tragic incident occurred on Taiwo Street in Ikosi, Ketu, Lagos.

Reacting to the tragedy, Joshua’s mother, a fruit seller, wept and lamented the loss of her only child. “Joshua died hungry and cold. He was in primary six and was supposed to write his common entrance exam,” she said.

The distraught mother revealed that she had lost her home in a fire and was living in a temporary shelter. She pleaded with the public to help find her son, promising to do anything to get him back.

A witness, known as Oloyede, who is also a youth leader in the area, said he saw children in the rain and warned them to be careful. “But unfortunately, the plank used to bridge the canal was completely covered by water, and they fell into the drainage. I managed to swim and rescue one of them, but unfortunately, Joshua was swept away by the heavy currents and died,” he said.

A community leader, speaking off the record, blamed the government for abandoning a project to channel the drainage, leaving the area prone to flooding. “In January, the government started a project to channel the drainage, but they abandoned it, leaving us with this unfinished project. Every time it rains, the area is filled with water,” he said.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Nosa Okunbor, said he had not received any report on the incident. Efforts to reach the Lagos police spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls.