Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Anambra State Police Command has confirmed the rescue of seven schoolchildren and two adults following a flood incident along the Nibo–Isiagu Road in Awka South Local Government Area. One child remains unaccounted for, and a search and rescue operation is ongoing.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, by the command’s spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, the incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday when the schoolchildren and adults were travelling along the affected route and were caught in the flood. The flooding followed persistent rainfall in the state between Monday, September 21, and Tuesday, September 22, 2026. A school bus became stuck in the floodwaters, trapping its occupants.
Upon receiving information about the incident, the command’s Safe School Operatives swiftly mobilised to the area. Working in collaboration with concerned members of the community, the operatives rescued seven schoolchildren and two adults and moved them to safety. However, one additional child involved in the incident is still unaccounted for, prompting the command to activate sustained search and rescue operations in the affected area.
“The search operation is being conducted in collaboration with community members and relevant stakeholders and will continue until the remaining persons are located and accounted for,” Ikenga stated. The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, has directed that the search and rescue operation be sustained and expanded. He also urged residents of the area, particularly those living or operating around the affected route, to provide the police and other responding agencies with any information that may assist in locating the missing child.
The command further urged parents, guardians, school authorities, and motorists to exercise extreme caution around flooded roads, bridges, and waterways, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall. “Parents and guardians are advised to ensure that children do not attempt to cross flooded or otherwise dangerous routes,” the statement read. The command reaffirmed its commitment to the protection and safety of schoolchildren and said it would continue to strengthen collaboration with communities and relevant agencies under the Safe School Initiative to prevent avoidable loss of life during emergencies.
The incident occurred against the backdrop of a fresh high-flood-risk advisory issued by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency covering September 19 to 25, 2026. The advisory listed Anambra among fifteen states vulnerable to riverine flooding and identified Awka South, Awka North, Anambra East, Anambra West, Ogbaru, Aguata, Anaocha, and Ayamelum as vulnerable areas within the state. The National Emergency Management Agency had earlier warned Anambra residents, particularly those in riverine and flood-prone communities, to remain vigilant and be prepared to move to safer, higher ground as water levels rise.
Eyewitness accounts and videos from the scene showed floodwaters overwhelming sections of Ring Road, Awka, with students trapped in a school bus and a woman seen holding on to a tree after being washed into a flooded area. Emergency responders, including officials from NEMA and the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, were deployed to the scene. According to Channels Television, six children were initially rescued and taken to the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital in Amaku, Awka, for medical attention. The Awka South local government officials at the scene said the situation had been brought under control. The combined NEMA and SEMA team disclosed that Ogbaru Local Government Area would be focused on for further assessment of the impact of continued rainfall and flooding, and to determine whether additional communities require urgent intervention.
The rescue operation along the Nibo–Isiagu Road is the latest in a series of flood-related emergencies in Anambra State this rainy season. The state has been identified as one of the most vulnerable to flooding in Nigeria’s South-East, with communities along the Niger River and its tributaries facing annual threats of displacement and loss of life. The Safe School Initiative, under which the police operatives who conducted the rescue were deployed, was established to protect educational institutions and students from security and environmental threats. The swift mobilisation of the operatives and their collaboration with community members were instrumental in saving the nine rescued victims.
As of the time of this report, the search for the missing child is ongoing. The police have urged anyone with useful information to come forward. For the families of the rescued children, the day began with fear and uncertainty but ended with relief. For the family of the child still unaccounted for, the wait continues. The police have promised that the search will not stop until the child is found.
The command’s directive that parents and guardians should ensure children do not attempt to cross flooded routes serves as a critical reminder of the dangers posed by the ongoing rains. With the high-flood-risk advisory remaining in effect until September 25, residents of Awka South and other vulnerable areas are advised to remain vigilant. The police have said they will continue to work with communities and relevant agencies to prevent further tragedies. For now, the focus remains on the missing child, and the hope that the search will end in another rescue.
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