Parents of four‑year‑old Chukwuemeka Okoro and their neighbours are still unable to recover the boy’s body almost a week after he was swept away by floodwaters in a Lagos community. The incident occurred last Tuesday when Okoro fell into a canal on Nobel Street and was carried through a nearby drainage into the Onibata community, both in the Ogba area of Lagos. The tragedy happened during a heavy downpour that day.
Our correspondent visited the scene on Friday and saw more than 20 volunteers—family members and residents—searching the area frantically for Okoro’s body. As of the time of this report, no body had been found.
Okoro’s distraught father, Ikechukwu, told Metro that retrieving his son’s body is essential for performing the final rites required by their tradition. “We are so sad. We have not been able to report this incident to the authorities because we have been busy looking for the boy. We were more than 50 yesterday (Thursday). I don’t think you can step your feet in the canal. We are yet to find his body,” he said. He added that a woman had promised to inform the authorities, but nothing had been heard since. “We have searched from Onibata to Alagbole, Akintolu, and even Kara, but the river does not flow there; it diverts elsewhere,” Ikechukwu explained.
A resident of Onibata warned Metro about the danger the canal poses, noting repeated attempts to draw government attention to the need for a proper drainage system. “Over time we have called the government’s attention to all these things. It has been one promise after another. When the rainy season peaks, water always enters people’s houses from the canal. Although a barrier has been erected, work has not started. This is the rainy season; the government should act before water carries everyone away from their homes. Sometimes pythons and other reptiles enter houses. The makeshift bridge between Onibata and Ogundimu is no longer passable,” the resident said.
When contacted, Lagos State Emergency Maintenance Agency spokesperson Nosa Okunbor said the agency was not aware of the incident. “The family should have called 767 immediately after the incident happened. I will contact the control room to see if there is anything they can do,” he said.
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