Anambra Flood: Nine Rescued As Police Launch Search For Missing Schoolchild

The Anambra State Police Command has launched a sustained search operation for a schoolchild who went missing after floodwaters swept through the Nibo–Isiagu Road in Awka South Local Government Area of the state.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, September 22, 2026, following heavy rainfall that affected parts of the state, leaving several schoolchildren and adults trapped along the flooded route.

The command said its Safe School Operatives, working with members of the affected community, rescued nine people comprising seven schoolchildren and two adults and moved them to safety.

However, one other child who was caught up in the incident remained unaccounted for, prompting the police to activate sustained search and rescue operations in the area.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the search was being conducted in collaboration with community members and other relevant stakeholders and would continue until the missing child was located.

Missing child

The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, Nnanna Oji Ama, directed that the search operation be sustained and expanded. He also appealed to residents living or operating around the affected route to provide the police and other responding agencies with any information that could assist in locating the child.

The command also urged parents, guardians, school authorities and motorists to exercise extreme caution around flooded roads, bridges and waterways, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall.

It advised parents and guardians to ensure that children do not attempt to cross flooded or otherwise dangerous routes.

The police said they would continue working with communities and relevant agencies under the Safe School Initiative to protect schoolchildren and prevent avoidable loss of lives during emergencies.