Anambra Flood: Marcus Questions Emergency Preparedness After Child Goes Missing

By Seun Ayeni

Questions over Nigeria’s emergency rescue capacity have resurfaced following a flood incident in Awka, Anambra State, in which several schoolchildren were trapped and one child remained missing after rescue operations.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, September 22, along the Ring Road/Nibo–Isiagu axis of Awka South Local Government Area following heavy rainfall that caused severe flooding in parts of the state.

According to the Anambra State Police Command, seven schoolchildren and two adults were rescued from the flood, while one additional child remained unaccounted for. Sustained search and rescue operations were subsequently activated in collaboration with community members and other stakeholders.

The Anambra State Government also said emergency teams involving the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and the State Fire Service were mobilised after distress calls about the trapped children.

Reacting to the incident, social commentator Opeyemi Marcus questioned why ordinary members of the public should have to play a major role in rescuing people trapped by sudden flooding.

Marcus shared images and video of a vehicle surrounded by floodwater and said the situation raised a broader question about the country’s preparedness to respond when disasters occur.

“Beyond the flooding itself, there is another painful question we must confront: why are we still so unprepared to rescue people when disaster strikes?” he wrote.

He expressed concern that the rescue of some of the children reportedly depended on the courage and intervention of fellow road users, arguing that emergency response should be sufficiently equipped to reach people in danger within minutes.

Marcus called for functional emergency rescue systems across the states, including trained personnel, rescue boats, helicopters where necessary and other specialised equipment.

“Floods may be difficult to prevent entirely. But deaths caused by a lack of preparedness, coordination and rescue capacity should not be inevitable,” he said.

His comments came as emergency agencies continued efforts to locate the missing child. The Anambra police said the search had been expanded and urged residents and other people in the area to provide information that could help locate the missing pupil.

Channels Television reported that the rescued children were taken to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Amaku, Awka, for medical attention, while the search for the missing person continued.

The incident has renewed attention on the need for rapid emergency response during flash floods, particularly as authorities continue to warn residents in flood-prone communities to exercise caution around flooded roads, bridges and waterways.

For Marcus, however, the episode goes beyond the immediate flooding, highlighting what he described as the need for stronger investment in disaster preparedness, rescue infrastructure and coordinated emergency response.