By Godwin Otang
A minor has reportedly drowned in a drainage after days of heavy rain in Archibong Eka in Calabar South, and his corpse is still missing 5 days after.
The young child is said to be between 7-12 years old. A witness explained that the little boy whose identity wasn’t disclosed was going for an errand for his mother in the company of his younger sister when the incident occurred last weekend.
“A minor between 7 to 12 years old, who was the only son to a family of 5, got drained in drainage during the last heavy rainfall that occurred in Calabar, as he was going for an errand for his mother.
“According to the mother, there is a linear bridge linking the community to UNICROSS” so the boy fell from the bridge into the drainage and drowned due to the heavy rain last weekend.
“His sibling that accompanied him raised alarm, but due to the magnitude of the flow of water in the drainage, people around could not save him; in fact, one of the men almost drowned in an attempt to save the little boy who eventually drowned. His corpse are not yet discovered till now,” eyewitness Ekemini Ibangha sorrowfully narrated.
He called for government intervention in the community. His words: “This is very dangerous, the drainage is causing a lot of environmental havoc to this community. I think the government should come to our aid. This drainage was constructed by former Governor Donald Duke, since then, successive administrations have failed to maintain the drainage, thereby exposing the community to immeasurable risk and environmental dangers.”
When CrossRiverWatch visited the scene of the incident, his parents who were in tears declined to speak on the matter.