Heavy torrential rainfall that lashed parts of southeastern Nigeria this week left communities reeling from flash floods, damaged infrastructure and, in Anambra State, a tragic reminder of the state’s long-running battle with gully erosion.
In Awka, Anambra State, six-year-old Success Ezenwafor, a pupil of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Primary School, was swept away by floodwaters on Tuesday morning, 22 September 2026.
His body was recovered the following day. In a separate incident in a rural community in neighbouring Enugu State, another young boy also named Success was pulled alive from a deep ditch roughly 24 hours after floodwaters carried him away.
Tragedy on the Ring Road in Awka
Success Ezenwafor was travelling to school in a shuttle bus with other pupils along the Awka–Nibo–Nise–Enugwu-Ukwu Ring Road (also known as the Nibo–Isiagu Road) in Awka South Local Government Area when prolonged heavy rain caused rapid flooding. The vehicle became trapped and overturned in the surging waters.
Police Safe School Operatives, working with local residents, rescued seven schoolchildren and two adults. The survivors were taken to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (Amaku) in Awka, where they were reported to be in stable condition. Two other children from the Ezenwafor family who were on the same bus were among those saved.
Family members and witnesses described Success as a brave boy. He reportedly broke one of the vehicle’s windows, creating an escape route that allowed several other occupants to get out. He himself was carried away by the current.
His body was recovered on Wednesday, 23 September, during continued search efforts by police, community members and local authorities. Awka South Local Government Area Chairman Prince Chinedu Okafor confirmed the recovery and offered condolences to the family. A relative recalled that Success had kissed his father on both cheeks and said goodbye before boarding the shuttle that morning—never to return.
Rescue in Enugu
Around the same period, a young primary-school-age boy named Success was swept away by floodwaters in a rural community in Enugu State. Approximately 24 hours later, residents located him in a deep ditch and pulled him to safety.
Video footage shared by Facebook user Uche Nwora captured the emotional moment of the rescue. Crowds gathered as the boy was brought out; people at the scene could be heard celebrating, thanking God and shouting praises. Details of the boy’s exact age and the precise location remain limited in initial reports, but the footage and accounts confirm he survived the ordeal.
Anambra’s ongoing struggle with floods and gully erosion
The deadly flooding in Awka occurred against the backdrop of Anambra State’s well-documented vulnerability to extreme weather and environmental degradation. The same torrential rains of 22 September also triggered building collapses linked to an active gully erosion site at Umudioka by Agu Oye in Awka, leaving at least one family homeless, and toppled electricity poles carrying high-tension cables near the Old Government House area.
Anambra has long been one of Nigeria’s most erosion-prone states, with nearly 1,200 active gully sites reported in recent assessments. Governor Chukwuma Soludo has previously described flooding and gully erosion as the state’s “number one existential threat,” noting that the already small landmass is steadily shrinking. Human activities—including indiscriminate sand mining, obstruction of waterways, dumping of waste into drains and construction on drainage corridors—have been repeatedly cited as aggravating factors.
State authorities have declared an environmental emergency, ordered statewide drainage clean-ups (including temporary lockdowns for the exercise), and intensified efforts to desilt channels and curb illegal sand mining. Despite these measures, heavy rainfall continues to overwhelm roads, weaken structures and endanger lives, particularly schoolchildren and commuters using flood-prone routes such as the Ring Road.
Emergency responders and community members demonstrated rapid coordination in both the Awka rescue of the surviving bus passengers and the Enugu recovery of the second Success. Yet the contrasting outcomes underscore the persistent dangers posed by torrential rainfall, inadequate drainage and advancing gully erosion across the region.
As the rainy season continues, residents are urged to avoid flooded roads and waterways, while authorities face renewed calls for sustained investment in drainage infrastructure, erosion control and early-warning systems to protect vulnerable communities.
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