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The mother of a primary six pupil, identified simply as Joshua, has been left in serious grief after her son was swept away by flood in Ikosi, Ketu area of Lagos State.
A persistent rainfall, which started in the early hours of Wednesday, July 3, 2024, wreaked havoc in many parts of the state as buildings, cars, and roads were submerged by flood.
While residents are still counting their losses amid the torrential rainfall, a mother is reeling from the loss of her son due to the flood.
The unfortunate incident reportedly occurred when Joshua was returning from school alongside his colleagues on the wet Wednesday afternoon.
He was swept away by flood on Taiwo Street in Ikosi, Ketu, Lagos.
Reacting to the tragic occurrence, Joshua's mother, who trades in fruit, was drenched in tears while pulling her hair and lamenting the loss of her only child, per Daily Trust.
“Joshua died hungry and cold. He was in primary six; he was supposed to write his common entrance exam,” she said.
The grief-stricken mother revealed that she was living in a temporary shelter after losing her home in a fire incident.
She pleaded with the public to help her recover her son, promising to do anything to get him back.
Witness narrates the incident
A witness, known in the area as Oloyede, said he saw the children walking in the rain and warned them to be careful because of the area.
“But unfortunately, the plank that was used to bridge the canal was completely covered by water, and they fell into the drainage.
“I managed to swim and rescue one of them, but unfortunately, Joshua was swept away by the heavy currents and died,” Oloyede, who is also a youth leader, said.
As reported by Daily Trust, a community leader who craved anonymity blamed the government for abandoning a project to channel the drainage, leaving the area prone to flooding.
“In January, the government started a project to channel the drainage, but they abandoned it, leaving us with this unfinished project. Every time it rains, the area is filled with water,” he said.