Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Two children have been confirmed dead and no fewer than 14 villages submerged following devastating flooding that swept through Mpu and Okpanku communities in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State. The victims, two brothers aged seven and eight, were reportedly swept away by the floodwaters two days before the situation worsened. The flood, which began on the evening of Sunday, September 20, 2026, intensified on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 22 and 23, after more than 48 hours of heavy rainfall, forcing residents to evacuate their homes and property to safer locations.
According to the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Enugu State Council, Comrade Obinna Ogbuke, who is a native of Mpu, eight villages in Okpanku and six in Mpu were affected, with several houses submerged. "In my community, Mpu, and the Okpanku community in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State, I've never witnessed this kind of high level of flooding before. It's so bad, so devastating," Ogbuke said. He added that more than 10 buildings had collapsed after the flood persisted for about 48 hours. "The road leading from Mpu to Okpanku has been cut off, and the popular Ivo Bridge has been taken over by flood. Three villages in Okpanku cannot access the other part of the town. Mpu people can no longer cross to Okpanku, and Okpanku people cannot cross to Mpu," he stated.
Ogbuke confirmed the deaths of the two children. "The two little kids, one is seven, the other one, his brother, is eight. That was two days ago, before it got to this level," he said. Another report from the affected area indicated that a child from Obiagu Okomigbo in Mpu had also drowned in the flood. However, the identity and circumstances surrounding that reported death had yet to be formally confirmed by the relevant authorities as of the time of filing this report.
The flooding has caused widespread destruction across four communities in Aninri Local Government Area. According to reports from Vanguard and Independent Newspapers, the affected communities include Mpu, Okpanku, Ndiabor, and Oduma. The flooding began to expand following torrential rainfall on September 20 and worsened on September 22 and 23 after more rainfall submerged parts of Afor Okpanku Market, the Ivo River Bridge and adjoining roads. More than 10 houses reportedly collapsed on Wednesday, while rice, yam and cassava farms were washed away by the rising water. Several shops at Afor Okpanku Market, including rice mills, remained underwater for two days.
The Councillor representing Mpu Ward, Hon. Edwin Ogbuka, described the situation as life-threatening, saying several houses and farmlands had been affected. He called for urgent government intervention and attributed the flooding to an overflow of water from the abandoned Ivo Dam project. The Chairman of Aninri Local Government Area, Prince Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, expressed concern over the disaster, saying flooding occurs twice yearly in some parts of the area due to the uncompleted Ivo River Dam Project. Nwanjoku said that stakeholders were planning a joint visit to the Ivo River Dam to assess the reservoir and explore possible repairs to prevent further flooding. "I felt sad the moment I heard about the incident. Most communities in Aninri have been submerged by flooding, such as Okpanku, Mpu, Uhuezeoke in Ndiabor and parts of Ezineshi in Oduma. Crops, houses and businesses were destroyed. We are assessing the situation to know the level of damage," he said.
A community leader in Mpu, Mr. Chukwu Magnus Dele, said six villages in the community had been affected, with some displaced residents taking refuge at Amachalla Town School. He appealed to the government and relevant emergency agencies to urgently provide relief materials and other assistance to the victims. The Youth Leader of Okpanku, Mr. George Ahaefuna, described the flooding as unprecedented. "Since I was born, I have never seen this kind of flood in my life. The flood has destroyed all we have laboured for this year. It has destroyed our crops, rice and yam farms worth millions of naira. I am appealing to the Federal Government, Enugu State Government, Aninri Local Government, NEMA and SEMA to come to our aid," he said. A shop owner at Afor Okpanku Market, Mrs. Patricia Chukwu, said goods worth millions of naira had remained submerged in flood water for two days. "This development is devastating. This is the worst flood that has affected Okpanku in my generation. If you go inside the villages, you will see houses destroyed by the flood," she said.
Residents of some affected communities have taken refuge in public buildings and places of worship. Displaced residents from Mpu were staying at Amachara Town Hall, while residents of Ukey Mpu had taken shelter at Ukwu Primary School. Those displaced in Amiyi Okpanku were reportedly staying at a Methodist Church. Ogbuke warned that the water was not receding and that the people needed urgent attention. "The water is not receding, and the people need urgent attention. All hands have to be on deck. It's an emergency that needs a very serious intervention; if not, we may begin to lose more people," he warned. Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency and the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency who visited the area were also unable to cross some affected sections. The Aninri Local Government Chairman also visited the area but could not cross from Mpu to Okpanku.
As of Wednesday afternoon, September 23, rainfall was still being recorded in the area, while the floodwaters continued to rise and spread into residential areas. The flooding was still worsening as of press time, with rain continuing to fall and more buildings and farmlands coming under water. Residents said Okpanku had experienced major flooding on previous occasions, with community accounts citing 1939, 1965 and 2026. Efforts to obtain reactions from NEMA and SEMA were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
The Enugu State Government has yet to issue an official statement on the disaster or announce any relief measures for the affected communities. The scale of the destruction has left hundreds of families displaced and without access to their homes, farmlands and sources of livelihood. For the people of Mpu and Okpanku, the immediate concern is survival and the hope that help will arrive before the waters claim more lives. The two children who lost their lives are a tragic reminder of the human cost of the flooding, and their deaths have underscored the urgency of the situation. As the rains continue and the floodwaters remain high, residents are appealing to the Federal Government, the Enugu State Government and emergency agencies to intervene urgently to prevent further loss of life and to provide relief to those who have lost everything.
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