Flood in Enugu Claims Lives and Destroys Villages

Two children have lost their lives, and 14 villages are underwater after serious flooding hit Mpu and Okpanku in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The flood started on Sunday evening and got worse on Tuesday and Wednesday after over 48 hours of heavy rain. This forced many people to leave their homes and move to safer places.

The victims were two brothers, aged seven and eight. They were swept away by floodwaters two days before the situation escalated.

More than 10 buildings have collapsed. Lots of farmlands, especially rice and yam farms, are also submerged. Several shops at Afor Okpanku Market, including rice mills, have been underwater for two days now.

The well-known Ivo Bridge is now flooded, blocking access between Mpu and Okpanku and making it hard for people to move around.

As of Wednesday afternoon, it was still raining in the area, and the floodwaters continued to rise and spread into homes.

“I have never seen this kind of flood,” said Comrade Obinna Ogbuke, the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists in Enugu State and a native of Mpu. He explained that eight villages in Okpanku and six in Mpu have been affected, with many houses submerged.

“In my community, Mpu, and Okpanku, I’ve never seen flooding this bad before. It’s so devastating,” he added.

Ogbuke noted that more than 10 buildings collapsed after the flood lasted for about 48 hours. “The road from Mpu to Okpanku is blocked, and the Ivo Bridge is completely flooded. Three villages in Okpanku cannot get to the rest of the town.

“Mpu people can no longer cross to Okpanku, and Okpanku people cannot cross to Mpu,” he said.

He also mentioned that officials from the National Emergency Management Agency and the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency who visited the area couldn’t cross some flooded sections.

Ogbuke said even the Aninri Local Government Chairman, Prince Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, visited but could not cross from Mpu to Okpanku.

He explained that people from some affected communities are taking shelter in public buildings and churches. Residents from Mpu are at Amachara Town Hall, while those from Ukey Mpu are at Ukwu Primary School. Displaced people in Amiyi Okpanku are staying at a Methodist Church.

“The water is not going down, and the people need urgent help. We all need to come together. This is an emergency that requires serious attention; if not, we may lose more lives,” he warned.

Ogbuke confirmed that two children have died after being swept away by the flood. “The two little kids, one is seven and the other is eight. That happened two days ago, before it got worse,” he said.

Another account from the area mentioned a child from Obiagu Okomigbo in Mpu also drowned in the flood. But the identity and details of this case have not yet been confirmed by the authorities.

George Ahaefuna, the youth leader of Okpanku community, said the flood has destroyed the crops that residents worked hard to grow this year.

“Since I was born, I have never seen flooding like this. It has ruined everything we have worked for this year. Our rice and yam farms worth millions of naira are gone,” he said.

Ahaefuna has called on the Federal Government, the Enugu State Government, the Aninri Local Government Council, NEMA, and SEMA to help urgently.

A shop owner at Afor Okpanku Market mentioned that goods worth millions of naira have been underwater for two days. She described this as the worst flood she has ever seen and urged the government to assist those whose homes have been destroyed.

“If the water allows you to go into the villages, you will see houses ruined by the flood,” she said.

Edwin Ogbuka, the councillor for Mpu Ward, called the situation life-threatening and asked for quick action. He linked the flooding to the overflow from the abandoned Ivo Dam project.

A community leader in Mpu, Mr Magnus Chukwu, said six villages are now displaced, with families taking shelter at Amachalla Town School.

The latest flooding has raised worries about the long-standing Ivo River Dam project, which residents say is linked to flooding in Mpu and Okpanku.

The Federal Government’s records show the Ivo River Dam as a 20-million-cubic-metre earthfill dam in Aninri, Enugu State, under the Federal Ministry of Water Resources. This project is still ongoing.

There is also a history of flooding concerns around this project. In 2023, the House of Representatives noted that Mpu and Okpanku are downstream of the dam and called for it to be finished.

In October 2024, the House also expressed worries that the reservoir could overflow during the rainy season and that the unfinished spillway has added to the flooding in nearby communities.

A 2024 investigation revealed repeated flooding affecting farms and communities around Mpu and Okpanku, with locals blaming the incomplete dam work.

Ogbuke pointed to the abandoned project as the cause of the current flooding. “I can link this devastating flood to the abandoned Ivo Dam project by the Federal Government. The way they cleared it and left it, it’s dangerous. Now we are seeing the effects,” he said.

He noted that the flood has moved from farmlands into houses. “Last year, it covered a lot of farmland and got close to homes. This year, it’s worse. It has covered even more land and is now affecting homes. That’s why buildings are collapsing and villages are underwater,” he said.

Residents said Okpanku faced serious flooding in 1939 and 1965, and this latest event adds to that history.

Prince Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, the Aninri Local Government Chairman, said he has reached out to Senator Osita Ngwu and the local House of Representatives member, Anayo Onwuegbu, about the flooding.

Nwanjoku shared photos of the affected communities, including Ihube and Ihuezeoke in Okpanku, with the lawmakers. He mentioned that Senator Ngwu has started talks with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources regarding the emergency.

He also discussed the issues around the Ivo Dam reservoir with Onwuegbu and plans for inspecting the affected areas.

“This is totally unacceptable. What a loss!” the chairman said.

Nwanjoku mentioned that a joint inspection of the affected communities is expected after the elections to check the damage and find ways to deal with the flooding.

This disaster has left people without homes, farms, businesses, and livelihoods. Displaced families are seeking shelter in schools, town halls, and churches. As the rain continues and the floodwaters stay high, residents and community leaders are calling for immediate help, relief materials, and an assessment of the damage to prevent more lives from being lost.