10-year-old boy drowns in Lagos floods

Friday, November 22, 2024 -A 10-year-old boy, Obinna Okoro, has drowned in a flood along Liasu Road, Idimu in the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.

It was gathered that the incident occurred during the downpour witnessed in the state on Sunday while Obinna’s remains were found on Tuesday after an intensive search. 

According to Punch, Obinna and his younger sister were trekking on a walkway close to the Juba Alaro end of the road while returning from church.

Unfortunately, he was said to have slipped and fallen into an open space on the walkway, causing the flood in the drainage to sweep him away in the process

An eyewitness, Morishade Ishola, told the publication on Thursday that the walkway was already covered by water when they were both walking on it.

The younger sister immediately raised the alarm after she could not find her brother, the witness said.

“The road was flooded after the rain and the water was much to the point it covered the walkway. So, the boy and his sister never knew one of the slabs covering the drainage had caved in. It was when he got to the point that he slipped into it. We didn’t know what happened until the sister started crying. It was when we moved closer to her that she told us that her brother fell into the hole,” Ishola narrated. 

While narrating the attempts made to rescue the late Obinna, a resident, who identified himself simply as Kunle, said that other residents and passers-by immediately swung into action as some of them jumped into the drainage.

“About two rescuers entered into the drainage. One of them entered from the point where he fell and the other person entered at Juba Alaro junction from where the flood flows through into the canal in the area but unfortunately, they could not find him,” he said.

It was discovered that there were two separate holes in the walkway where the incident happened.

Obinna's father, Jonathan, disclosed confirmed that his remains were found on Tuesday after an intensive search for his body.

“I and some residents went in search of him after the incident. We traced the drainage channel towards the canal and from there connected from one street to another. This went on till Tuesday before I later got a call that a corpse was found around the Egbe bridge area. I quickly rushed there and found out that he was the one,” he explained. 

He added that the late Obinna was buried the same day.