Two Children Killed, 14 Villages Submerged As Devastating Flood Ravages Enugu Communities | Sahara Reporters

Residents said the flooding affected Ukey and other parts of Mpu, as well as several communities in Okpanku.

Two children have been confirmed dead and no fewer than 14 villages submerged after devastating flooding swept through Mpu and Okpanku communities in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State, SaharaReporters reports.

The flooding followed hours of heavy rainfall that began on Monday night and continued into Wednesday, destroying farmlands, houses and other property and leaving residents in urgent need of assistance.

Residents said the flooding affected Ukey and other parts of Mpu, as well as several communities in Okpanku.

Farm produce, including yam, cassava, vegetables and rice, were reportedly destroyed, while several homes were inundated.

A particularly tragic incident was reported in Obiagu Okomigbo, Mpu, where two children from the same family reportedly drowned in the flood.

Comrade Obinna Ogbuke, a resident of Mpu and Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Enugu State Council, confirmed the deaths and described the situation as increasingly devastating.

Ogbuke said eight villages in Okpanku and six in Mpu had been affected, with floodwater entering residential areas.

“My community, Mpu, and Okpanku community in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State, I have never witnessed this kind of flood before. It is so bad and devastating. As we are talking, in Okpanku community, eight villages have been affected, while in Mpu, we have six villages affected. And when I say these villages, you see houses being submerged by the high flow of water,” he said.

He said more than 10 buildings had collapsed as a result of the flooding, adding that rainfall continued on Wednesday morning.

“Over 10 buildings have collapsed because the flooding has lasted for almost 48 hours now. This morning, there was also rain in that place, so it is even getting worse,” Ogbuke said.

According to him, the road linking Mpu and Okpanku had been cut off, while the popular Ivo Bridge had also been overtaken by floodwater.

“What it means is that people from Okpanku, particularly some three villages in Okpanku, can no longer access the far side of Okpanku,” he said.

“Mpu people can no longer cross to Okpanku, while Okpanku people cannot cross to Mpu. For almost 24 hours now, it has been like that.”

Ogbuke said officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) had visited the affected areas but were unable to cross the flooded sections.

“The Local Government Chairman, Prince Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, visited the area. He could not even cross from Mpu to Okpanku. And the water is not receding,” he said.

“Not to talk of farmlands, hectares of land have been covered by the flood. It is so devastating.”

He also said the flooding had reached residential areas, including the vicinity of the country home of former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

“It may interest you to know that in front of the gate of the former Deputy Senate President’s house, the area was covered by water this morning. It is as bad as that. So, it is no longer just the farmlands. The water is gaining more space every year,” he said.

Ogbuke blamed the situation partly on the abandoned Ivo River Dam project, although that claim has not been independently established as the cause of the current flooding.

“I can attribute the cause of this devastating flood to the abandoned Ivo Dam project by the Federal Government,” he said.

“The way they cleared that project and abandoned it; it is a death trap. It is a risk. And now we are seeing the effect. Each year, the water continues to gain more space into the residential area.”

He said the flooding had forced residents of several communities to seek shelter in public buildings and places of worship.

“Some villages from Mpu are camped at Amachara Town Hall. That is where the people are now staying because they can no longer access their homes,” he said.

“If you go to the other village called Ukey Mpu, the people are staying at Ukwu Primary School. If you go to Amiyi Okpanku, the people are currently staying at Methodist Church as we are talking.”

Ogbuke urged authorities to treat the situation as an emergency.

“The water is not receding and the people need urgent attention. They need help fast. All hands have to be on deck. It is an emergency that needs very serious intervention. If not, we may begin to lose more people,” he said.

On the deaths, he said two children from the same family were swept away by the flood.

“Let me confirm to you that two days ago, when this rain started, two lives were lost. The flood took away two kids who did not know that it was going to come like that. The two little kids, one was seven and the other, his brother, was eight. That was two days ago, before it got to this level,” Ogbuke said.

A resident of Ukey, Mpu, also appealed for immediate government intervention, saying the situation remained unpredictable.

“We woke up to a flood situation in Ukey village, Mpu Town, this morning, today being September 23, 2026. Our farms are worse off and the situation is still developing. We do not know what will happen in the next couple of hours. I call on the authorities to come to our aid,” the resident said.

The latest flooding has renewed concerns about the long-running Ivo River Dam project, which has previously featured in discussions about flooding in Mpu, Okpanku and surrounding communities.

There is also a documented history of concerns about flooding in communities downstream of the project.

In 2023, the House of Representatives noted that Mpu and Okpanku were downstream of the dam and called for its completion.

Proceedings of the House in October 2024 also recorded concerns that the reservoir could overflow during the rainy season and that the incomplete spillway had contributed to flooding in surrounding communities.

According to The Voice of the Masses, a 2024 investigation similarly reported repeated flooding affecting farms and communities around Mpu and Okpanku, with residents attributing the problem to the incomplete dam infrastructure.

However, the reported concerns about the dam do not by themselves establish that it caused the latest flooding. The immediate situation requires assessment by the relevant authorities to determine the causes and extent of the disaster.

Reacting to the latest development, Aninri Local Government Chairman, Prince Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, said he had contacted Senator Osita Ngwu and Hon. Anayo Onwuegbu and shared photographs showing the extent of flooding in affected communities, including Ihube and Ihuezeoke in Okpanku, according to The Voice of the Masses.

Nwanjoku said Senator Ngwu had begun discussions with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources over the emergency.

He also said he discussed the issue with Onwuegbu, particularly concerns surrounding the Ivo Dam reservoir, with plans being considered for an inspection of the affected areas.

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

Nwanjoku said a joint inspection of the affected areas was expected after the election to assess the damage and identify a lasting solution to the recurring flooding.

He added that flooding of this nature had reportedly occurred repeatedly in Okpanku during the rainy season.

For now, residents are seeking urgent assistance, including evacuation of vulnerable people, rescue operations, medical attention, food and shelter, as well as an assessment of damaged homes and farmlands.

The Federal Government, Enugu State Government, Aninri Local Government Council, emergency-management agencies and elected representatives will need to coordinate their response as the extent of the damage becomes clearer.

The Federal Government had previously undertaken an ecological-funds fact-finding visit to Mpu, Okpanku, Oduma and Nenwe following flooding in Aninri, underscoring the area’s history of flooding concerns.