By Isiaka Mustapha, Editor in Chief, People’s Security Monitor

The body of six year old Success Ezenwafor, a pupil of UNIZIK Primary School, Anambra State, who was swept away by floodwater after a school bus overturned, has been recovered.

Success was reported missing on Tuesday after the school bus conveying him and other occupants became trapped in floodwater and overturned along the Nibo Isiagu Road in Awka South Local Government Area.

His body was recovered on Wednesday morning during a search operation involving police operatives, community members and other stakeholders. His remains were subsequently deposited at a morgue.

The incident occurred during heavy rainfall that caused flooding in parts of the state. Nine other occupants of the vehicle, comprising seven schoolchildren and two adults, were rescued by operatives of the Anambra State Police Command with the assistance of residents.

The rescued victims were taken to the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Amaku, Awka, where they received medical attention. The children were later reported to be in stable condition.

The Chairman of Awka South Local Government Area, Prince Chinedu Okafor, who participated in the rescue operation, confirmed the recovery of Success’s body and expressed condolences to the bereaved family.

Okafor said the family was devastated by the loss, adding that he had spoken with one of the relatives who described the circumstances surrounding the boy’s final moments as particularly painful.

According to the chairman, Success’s father recalled that the boy kissed him on both cheeks, said goodbye and boarded the school shuttle on Tuesday morning, unaware that he would not return home.

Okafor also disclosed that two other children from the family who were in the vehicle survived the incident.

He said the family described Success as a brave child who broke one of the vehicle’s windows, creating an escape route that enabled some of the other occupants to get out. The boy, however, was unable to reach safety.

The spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga, had earlier confirmed that the search for the missing pupil was being conducted jointly with community members and other relevant stakeholders.

In a statement, the Ezenwafor family described the death as a painful loss, announcing that the remains would be moved from Amaku to the family’s hometown of Ula, Ekwulobia, for burial arrangements.

The family said, “With total submission to God, we announce that our little son, Success Ezenwafor, has joined the Church triumphant.”

Meanwhile, the Anambra State First Lady, Dr Nonye Soludo, has called on residents to exercise greater caution as flooding continues to affect some parts of the state.

In a statement issued in Awka on Wednesday, Soludo expressed concern over the impact of flooding on families, particularly residents of flood prone communities.

She urged residents to remain vigilant, follow weather and flood alerts, avoid crossing flooded roads and waterways and move to safer locations whenever their homes or immediate surroundings become dangerous.

The First Lady also advised residents to keep their environment clean and avoid dumping refuse in drainage channels, noting that blocked waterways could worsen flooding and put lives and property at greater risk.

She particularly appealed to parents and guardians to keep children away from floodwaters, drainage channels, streams and other hazardous areas during periods of heavy rainfall.

Soludo further called for stronger community awareness and collective responsibility, stressing that early intervention, vigilance and responsible environmental practices could help minimise the dangers associated with flooding.

She also encouraged residents to promptly report emergencies to the relevant authorities and urged communities to support one another whenever floodwaters begin to rise.

She said preparedness, vigilance and responsible environmental practices remained essential to protecting lives and reducing the impact of flooding across the state.