Flood Kills Two Children, Submerges 14 Villages in Enugu Communities

A devastating flood has ravaged four communities in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State, killing two children and submerging at least 14 villages after more than 48 hours of torrential rainfall.

The affected communities are Mpu, Okpanku, Ndiabor and Oduma. The flood began on September 20 and worsened on Tuesday and Wednesday, forcing residents to evacuate their homes and belongings to safer locations.

Two brothers, aged seven and eight, were reportedly swept away by floodwaters two days before the situation peaked. Their deaths were confirmed by Comrade Obinna Ogbuke, Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Enugu State Council, and a native of Mpu.

“Since I was born, I have never seen this kind of flood in my life. The flood has destroyed all we have laboured for this year. It has destroyed our crops, rice and yam farms worth millions of naira,” said George Ahaefuna, Youth Leader of Okpanku community.

More than 10 buildings have collapsed, while extensive farmlands including rice, yam and cassava farms have been submerged. Several shops and rice mills at Afor Okpanku Market have remained underwater for two days.

The Ivo Bridge, which links Mpu and Okpanku, has been overtaken by floodwaters, cutting off movement between the two communities. Officials from the National Emergency Management Agency and the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency were unable to cross some affected sections during their assessment visit.

A community leader in Mpu, Mr Dele Chukwu, said six villages in the community had been affected, with displaced residents taking refuge at Amachalla Town School. Other displaced persons are sheltering at Christ Methodist Church in Ihube, Okpanku.

The Councillor representing Mpu Ward, Mr Edwin Ogbuka, described the situation as “life-threatening” and attributed the flooding to the overflow of water from the abandoned Ivo River Dam project.

The Chairman of Aninri Local Government Area, Prince Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, said flooding occurs twice yearly in some parts of the area due to the uncompleted dam. He said stakeholders were planning a joint visit to the dam to assess the reservoir and explore possible repairs.

“I felt sad the moment I heard about the incident. Most communities in Aninri have been submerged by flooding, such as Okpanku, Mpu, Uhuezeoke in Ndiabor and parts of Ezineshi in Oduma. Crops, houses and businesses were destroyed. We are assessing the situation to know the level of damage,” Nwanjoku said.

A NEMA assessment revealed that nine communities were affected, with approximately 2,000 houses impacted and large expanses of cultivated farmlands destroyed. The Head of Operations, NEMA Enugu Operations Office, Mrs Priscilla Madukwe, assured affected persons that the Federal Government would provide necessary assistance and support.

Senator Osita Ngwu, representing Enugu West Senatorial District, has called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene in the abandoned Ivo River Dam project. He said more than 3,000 residents had been displaced, with some taking refuge in primary schools and churches.