Flood Tragedy: UNIZIK Primary School Pupil Dies After School Bus Is Trapped by Rising Water
A flood in Awka, the Anambra State capital, has claimed the life of a pupil of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Primary School. The child, identified as Success Ezenwafor, was swept away after a school shuttle bus became trapped in fast-rising floodwaters during a heavy downpour on Tuesday, September 22.
The incident happened along the Nibo–Isiagu Road, part of the Awka–Nibo–Nise–Enugwu-Ukwu Ring Road axis in Awka South Local Government Area. Reports say the bus was carrying pupils to school when rainwater overwhelmed the road. The vehicle became trapped and overturned, leaving those inside struggling to escape as the water surged around them.
A rescue operation involving police officers, other security personnel, emergency officials and residents got under way. Seven pupils and two adults were pulled to safety and taken to Amaku Teaching Hospital for treatment. Success, reported to be six years old, was carried away by the current. The Anambra State Police Command said one child remained unaccounted for, and Commissioner of Police Nnanna Oji Ama directed that the search continue until he was found.
The Chairman of Awka South Local Government Area, Prince Chinedu Okafor, later confirmed that the boy’s body had been recovered. He said the other children were in stable condition and receiving medical care. Okafor was at the hospital at the time of his comments.
Confusion followed for a short period. Some social media posts claimed the boy had been found alive under debris, but the local government chairman’s confirmation contradicted them. The circumstances also produced a moving account from the family. A relative told Dr. Uche Nworah, a former Anambra Broadcasting Service managing director, that Success broke a window of the bus, creating an escape route for other children before he was swept away. This account comes from the family and has not been independently verified. Nworah added that two other children from the same family were on the bus, were rescued and were receiving treatment.
Success was reportedly laid to rest on Wednesday, September 23, in his hometown of Ekwulobia in Aguata Local Government Area. Nigerians on social media expressed sorrow and sympathy for the family.
The flooding did not come without warning. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had forecast that Anambra was among the states at risk of above-normal flooding, and the state government had issued a flood alert. The State Emergency Management Agency had also urged residents of low-lying areas to relocate and advised motorists to avoid flooded roads. Following the tragedy, the governor’s wife, Dr. Nonye Soludo, issued a public safety message on September 24.
Some residents have raised concerns about flooding and road safety in the area, and the incident has renewed calls for better drainage, safer school transport arrangements and stricter caution during heavy rainfall.
Authorities are expected to keep urging parents, drivers and schools to avoid flooded routes while the rainy season continues.
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