For Elizabeth Umoru, a mother of three in Tunga, Niger State, a routine request turned into a lifelong nightmare after her nine-year-old daughter, Omonegbo, was swept away by floodwaters during a heavy downpour.
Speaking through tears, Elizabeth told Arewa PUNCH how she sent her daughter to the nearby Tunga market on Tuesday afternoon to buy rice — a simple errand that would end in unimaginable tragedy.
“She was happy when I asked her to go. My sister even called to say she had collected the rice and was on her way home,” Elizabeth recalled. “The next call I got was from a friend, screaming that the flood had taken my daughter. I thought it was a joke… I couldn’t believe it.”
Omonegbo had been accompanied by her older brother, an 11-year-old, who watched helplessly as his sister slipped into an uncovered drainage canal and was swept away by the surging flood. The rain, which had started earlier in the day, returned in torrents while the children were returning from the market.
Residents said the area’s poorly maintained drainage system, worsened by ongoing road construction, had overflowed and become a death trap for pedestrians.
“Her slippers and the nylon bag she was carrying fell as she slipped. Her brother picked them up but couldn’t save her,” Elizabeth said, trembling. “He shouted for help, but the water was too strong. People watched, but no one could reach her.”
According to family members, the young girl’s lifeless body was later recovered in a different part of town, lodged in another drainage channel with injuries to her head.
Omonegbo was the only daughter in the family and, according to her mother, held a special place in her father’s heart.
“She was like a second wife to her dad. They did everything together. That’s why he’s lying down now. It’s not sleep; it’s pain,” Elizabeth said.
Since the incident, the family has remained in mourning, with friends and neighbours visiting to offer comfort — though none have been able to console the parents.
When contacted, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) said it was unaware of the tragedy but promised to investigate.
Spokesman Hussaine Ibrahim said, “We’ve not received official information about the incident, but our officials will visit the family to confirm the details and provide support.”
The incident has once again highlighted the dangers posed by poor drainage systems, especially in flood-prone communities, and the urgent need for infrastructural safety measures to prevent such avoidable tragedies.