Two 13-year-old children have been swept away by flood in separate incidents in Abuja and Umuahia, Abia State, raising fresh concerns over the dangers posed by heavy rainfall and overflowing drainage channels.

In Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, 13-year-old Alhassan Jamil, a Junior Secondary School student of Ihyau El-Burhan Academy, Phase 3, was swept away by flood while on his way to school on Wednesday.

The incident occurred at about 7:30 a.m. near the Mobil filling station along the Old Kutunku-Market Road, shortly after an early morning rainfall.

According to the boy’s father, Jamil Maikasuwa, he was taking Alhassan to school on his motorcycle when they encountered a flooded double-cell culvert.

Maikasuwa said the floodwater had almost covered the culvert, prompting him to apply the brakes and attempt to turn back.

He said his son, frightened by the situation, jumped off the motorcycle and fell into the culvert.

“Immediately he jumped down from the bike, I quickly pushed the bike aside and tried to grab his hand to save him, but unfortunately, the flood swept him away,” he said.

Maikasuwa described Alhassan as a brilliant student who consistently came first in his class from nursery one to primary four.

He said the boy was the eldest of his four children and had initially been reluctant to travel to school with him because he was accustomed to using a commercial cyclist.

Search for missing student continues

Maikasuwa said fishermen and divers had been mobilised to search the river for his son.

As of the time of filing the report, Alhassan’s remains had not been recovered.

The father said some residents living close to the riverbank claimed to have sighted what they believed was the boy’s body floating in the water with his school bag strapped to his back.

He expressed hope that the remains would be recovered and returned to the family for burial.

An elder brother to Maikasuwa said the incident was the second drowning-related tragedy reported in the area within four days.

According to him, four people also drowned in a canoe accident while attempting to cross a river to a farm, although only one of the four bodies had been recovered.

Mrs Rabiat Kasim Ikwa, wife of the chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, was among the first people to visit the family to offer condolences.

Residents living near the scene also expressed shock, alleging that floodwater from a FADAMA farm suddenly surged with force and swept the boy away.

13-year-old girl missing after Umuahia flood

In a separate incident in Umuahia, Abia State, another 13-year-old, Adekunle Emanuella Ige, was swept away by flood in the Agbama area.

The incident occurred at about 7 p.m. on Monday during a prolonged rainfall that lasted for about five hours.

Emanuella was reportedly sent on an errand during the rain before she fell into a large gutter.

Residents alleged that rising floodwater had covered gutters around Agbama, Road Two and World Bank areas, making it difficult to distinguish the drainage channels from the walkways.

Residents subsequently organised a search for the girl, extending the operation to large gutters around Low Cost Housing Estate, World Bank Housing Estate and Umuafai community.

The search was suspended at about 10:30 p.m. on Monday and resumed the following morning but had not yielded any result as of the time of filing the report.

The girl’s mother, Mrs Adekunle Chinasa Ige, appealed to government agencies and residents to assist in locating her daughter.

Speaking on ABN TV, she said Emanuella had been living with her younger sister in Umuahia before the incident.

She said she was in Ohafia when she received information that her daughter had gone missing following the rainfall.

According to her, the police had commenced an investigation into the incident, while the family was also cooperating with the authorities.

The mother said Emanuella had been sent to a shop during the rain and was given an umbrella in case the weather worsened.

She said the girl failed to return home after several hours, prompting residents to begin a search.

The shopkeeper reportedly told the family that the rainfall and accompanying flood were severe enough to cover the drainage channel in front of the shop.

Mrs Ige expressed concern that her daughter may not have been able to identify the drainage channel as she left the shop.

Abuja’s recurring flood concerns

The Gwagwalada incident has renewed concerns over the recurring flood menace in parts of the Federal Capital Territory.

Heavy rainfall has repeatedly overwhelmed drainage channels, roads and waterways across parts of Abuja, creating risks for residents and motorists.

The FCT was placed on high flood alert in late July after rising water levels on the Gurara River exceeded the warning threshold, with the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency warning residents in vulnerable communities to relocate to safer areas where necessary.

The FCT Emergency Management Department also barricaded a slip road linking the Goodluck Jonathan Expressway with Ring Road II at Galadimawa ahead of the peak flooding period.

The route had previously been identified as a danger spot during heavy rainfall, with floodwaters reportedly sweeping away vehicles and causing fatalities.

Further flooding was reported across several parts of Abuja in August, including Wuse 2, Katampe, Mabushi, Lugbe, Nyanya, Gwarinpa, Asokoro, Maitama, Utako, Wuye and Gudu.

Other areas, including Asokoro, Maitama, Guzape, Lokogoma, Garki and Wuse, were also affected during subsequent flooding episodes.

The repeated incidents have raised concerns about drainage capacity, development control and construction around waterways.

The FCT Administration had said it was examining the roles of heavy rainfall and human activities, including developments allegedly carried out in violation of the Abuja Master Plan.

The administration subsequently identified inadequate drainage systems, undersized bridges and obstruction of natural waterways as some of the factors contributing to flash flooding in parts of Abuja.

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Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory, has accused the administration of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike of worsening Abuja’s flooding problems through developments she says have encroached on green areas, flood channels and flood plains.

Kingibe made the allegations while discussing the recent flooding recorded across parts of Abuja, arguing that some planning and development decisions have reduced the city’s capacity to manage heavy rainfall.

According to the senator, Abuja’s flooding problem predates the current FCT administration, but she believes the situation has become significantly worse over the past three to four years.

She said she had previously raised concerns with relevant FCT agencies about development around green areas and waterways.

Green areas and waterways under scrutiny

Kingibe said construction on areas that previously provided routes for stormwater has restricted the movement of water during heavy rainfall.

She specifically pointed to developments around parts of Asokoro, Jabi and Wuse, arguing that some gullies, flood channels and green areas have been built on or restricted.

The senator said the city’s original planning framework was designed to preserve certain areas for environmental and drainage purposes and warned that continued development in such locations could increase flood risks.

She also cited concerns around sewage and drainage infrastructure, saying some facilities require urgent attention.

Flooding exposes Abuja’s infrastructure challenge

The recent flooding affected several parts of the capital, renewing concerns about the city’s drainage capacity and the pace of urban expansion.

The problem is not limited to rainfall itself. Drainage capacity, waste disposal, development patterns and enforcement of planning regulations all influence how effectively stormwater moves through an urban area.

Kingibe called for rubbish to be cleared from streets and drainage channels, noting that waste can quickly be carried into drains during heavy rainfall and worsen blockages.

She also called for a broader review of Abuja’s sewage and drainage infrastructure.

FCT Administration says flooding predates Wike

The FCT Administration has rejected attempts to attribute Abuja’s flooding solely to the current minister.

Wike’s spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, said Abuja experienced serious flooding before Wike assumed office, citing incidents recorded in areas including Wuse, Jabi and Lokogoma in previous years.

He argued that the latest flooding reflects the challenges created by the rapid expansion of the capital, including inadequate drainage infrastructure, waste management problems and pressure on existing systems.

The FCT Administration also said it is reviewing Abuja’s 1979 Master Plan to reflect the city’s current population and development realities.

Planning decisions face renewed scrutiny

The disagreement has brought Abuja’s land-use planning system back into focus.

Kingibe has argued that the authorities must explain how developments affecting green areas, flood channels and flood plains are being approved.

The FCT Administration, meanwhile, maintains that flooding is a longstanding challenge and says it is taking steps to improve drainage and address the city’s changing infrastructure needs.

The debate highlights a wider challenge facing Abuja: how to accommodate rapid urban growth without sacrificing the environmental corridors and infrastructure needed to manage extreme rainfall.

For residents, the immediate concern is reducing the risk of further flooding. For planners and authorities, the longer-term challenge is ensuring that new development does not create additional pressure on drainage systems.

As the debate continues, greater transparency around land approvals, master-plan compliance, drainage capacity and development in environmentally sensitive areas could help establish what is driving Abuja’s worsening flood risk.

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