Two children, including a nine-year-old girl and an unidentified boy, have lost their lives in Minna, Niger State, following a heavy downpour that caused severe flooding in the Tunga community on Tuesday.
According to residents, the incident occurred after hours of rainfall overwhelmed drainages and roads, turning them into dangerous waterways.
The girl, said to be the only daughter among three children in her family, had been sent to the nearby Tunga Market—about two kilometers from her home—to buy ingredients for soup. She was accompanied by her older brother, aged 11.
Eyewitnesses reported that the children had left with an umbrella as a precaution against the morning drizzle. However, the rain soon intensified, flooding roads and making vehicular movement impossible. Motorists were forced to park as floodwaters surged through the streets.
“They were returning from the market when the flood swept the girl away. Her brother kept screaming for help, but nobody could intervene because of how strong the water was,” said a resident who witnessed the scene.
The girl’s brother, unable to save her, rushed home to inform their parents. Her father was later called to identify her body, which was found at a tunnel on Mandela Street—over five kilometers from where she was initially swept away. Shockingly, another child’s body, a boy believed to have also drowned in the same flood, was discovered alongside her.
“We were devastated to see not just our daughter but also another child lying lifeless. It’s heartbreaking,” the grieving father reportedly said, according to residents.
When contacted for comment, the spokesperson for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Hussaine Ibrahim, said the agency had not yet been informed about the incident but would launch an immediate inquiry.
“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 and gather full details,” Ibrahim said on Tuesday night.