A sudden surge of violent flood water has claimed the life of a 13-year-old schoolboy in the Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, leaving a family in deep mourning and residents in total shock.
Alhassan Jamil, a Junior Secondary School student at Ihyau El-Burhan Academy in Phase 3, met his tragic end on Wednesday morning while travelling to school. The incident highlights the devastating danger posed by overflowing waterways across the region during heavy downpours, marking another heart-wrenching Abuja rainstorm tragedy.
The boy’s father, Jamil Maikasuwa, recounted the harrowing ordeal from his residence in Old Kutunku. He had picked up his son on his motorcycle to drop him off safely at school. However, disaster struck as they attempted to navigate a flooded double-cell culvert along their regular route.
“Upon discovering that the flood water was coming on high speed, I applied brake but my son, out of fear, jumped from the bike and suddenly fell into the flood water,” he said.
The father tried desperately to rescue his young son as the raging water pulled the boy under.
“And immediately when I discovered he jumped down from the bike, I quickly pushed the bike aside and tried to grab his hand to save him, but unfortunately, the flood water swept him away,” he said.
Searching for the Student Swept Away by Flood Water
Maikasuwa, who serves as the Special Assistant to the Council Chairman on Domestic Affairs, confirmed that search parties are still looking for his son. The family remains at the riverbanks, waiting for any news regarding the student swept away by flood waters.
Local emergency response efforts began shortly after the incident. Community members, professional divers, and local fishermen quickly joined forces to search the downstream waters, hoping to retrieve the boy’s body for burial.
“Actually, my son’s corpse is yet to be recovered, even though some residents whose houses are close to the river bank said they discovered the corpse with his school bag strapped to his back floating. We hope that the corpse will be recovered so we can give him a befitting burial,” he said.
Rising Infrastructure Concerns in Gwagwalada Area Council
This latest flood disaster has brought renewed scrutiny to local drainage systems and culverts across the Gwagwalada Area Council. Residents have voiced growing frustration over poorly maintained bridges and culverts that overflow rapidly during heavy rains.
Water levels at culverts can rise in seconds, turning normal school runs into life-threatening hazards. Local drivers and motorcyclists now urge officials to install safety barriers and widen drainage channels before more lives are lost in this ongoing Abuja rainstorm tragedy.
For now, the search along the riverbanks continues. Fishermen and rescue teams remain in the water, focused on finding young Alhassan and bringing closure to a grieving family.
