At least two children have died while 14 villages have been submerged following severe flooding in Mpu and Okpanku communities in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The flooding, which began on Sunday evening, worsened on Tuesday and Wednesday after more than 48 hours of heavy rainfall, forcing residents to flee their homes and move valuables to safer locations.

The two victims, brothers aged seven and eight, were reportedly swept away by the floodwaters two days before the situation became more severe.

Another report from the affected area also claimed that a child from Obiagu Okomigbo in Mpu drowned in the flood. However, the identity and circumstances surrounding the reported death had not been formally confirmed by the relevant authorities as of the time of filing this report.

More than 10 buildings have reportedly collapsed, while large areas of farmland, including rice and yam farms, have been submerged.

Several businesses at Afor Okpanku Market, including rice mills, have also been under water for two days, with traders reportedly losing goods worth millions of naira.

The popular Ivo Bridge has equally been overtaken by floodwaters, cutting off access between Mpu and Okpanku and making movement between the communities difficult.

As of Wednesday afternoon, rainfall was still being recorded in the area, while the floodwaters continued to rise and spread into residential neighbourhoods.

‘I have never seen this kind of flood’

The Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Enugu State Council, and a native of Mpu, Comrade Obinna Ogbuke, described the flooding as unprecedented in the communities.

Ogbuke said eight villages in Okpanku and six in Mpu had been affected, with several houses already 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,” he said.

According to him, more than 10 buildings had collapsed after the flood persisted for about 48 hours.

He said the road linking Mpu and Okpanku had been cut off, while the Ivo Bridge was completely overtaken by floodwaters.

“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,” Ogbuke stated.

He added that officials of the National Emergency Management Agency and the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency, who visited the area, were unable to cross some of the affected sections.

The Aninri Local Government Chairman, Prince Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, also visited the area but was reportedly unable to cross from Mpu to Okpanku.

Residents flee homes

Several displaced residents have taken refuge in public buildings and places of worship as the flood continues to spread.

Ogbuke said some residents from Mpu were staying at Amachara Town Hall, while displaced residents of Ukey Mpu had taken shelter at Ukwu Primary School.

Those displaced in Amiyi Okpanku were reportedly taking refuge at a Methodist Church.

“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.

Ogbuke confirmed the deaths of the two brothers, saying they were swept away before the flooding reached its current level.

«“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.»

Farms, businesses destroyed

The youth leader of Okpanku, George Ahaefuna, said the flooding had destroyed crops cultivated by residents throughout the year.

“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, our rice and yam farms worth millions of naira,” he said.

Ahaefuna appealed to the Federal Government, Enugu State Government, Aninri Local Government Council, NEMA and SEMA to urgently intervene.

A trader at Afor Okpanku Market also said goods worth millions of naira had been submerged for two days.

She described the incident as the worst flooding she had witnessed in the community and appealed for government assistance for residents whose homes and businesses had been affected.

“If the overflow of the water allows you to go inside the villages, you will see houses destroyed by the flood,” she said.

The councillor representing Mpu Ward, Edwin Ogbuka, described the situation as life-threatening and called for immediate intervention.

He attributed the flooding to the overflow of water from the abandoned Ivo Dam project.

A community leader in Mpu, Magnus Chukwu, also said six villages in the community had been displaced, with affected families taking refuge at Amachalla Town School.

Ivo Dam project raises concerns

The latest flooding has renewed concerns over the long-running Ivo River Dam project, which residents have previously linked to flooding in Mpu and Okpanku.

The Federal Government’s official dam profile lists the Ivo River Dam as a 20-million-cubic-metre earthfill dam in Aninri, Enugu State, under the Federal Ministry of Water Resources. The project is classified as ongoing.

There is also a documented history of concerns over flooding around 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.

A 2024 investigation further reported repeated flooding affecting farms and communities around Mpu and Okpanku, with residents attributing the problem to the incomplete dam infrastructure.

Ogbuke blamed the latest incident on the abandoned project.

«“I can attribute the cause of this devastating flood to the abandoned Ivo Dam project by the Federal Government. The way they cleared that project and abandoned it, it’s a death trap. It’s a risk. And then now we are seeing the effect,” he said.»

He said the flooding had increasingly moved from farmlands into residential areas.

«“Last year, it covered hectares of farmland and came close to residential areas. This year, it’s more. They have covered more hectares again, and this time around, it’s residential areas. That’s why you are seeing buildings collapsing and villages where people are living being taken over by water,” he said.»

Residents said Okpanku had experienced major flooding in 1939 and 1965, with the latest incident becoming another major episode.

Council seeks federal intervention

The Aninri Local Government Chairman, Prince Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, said he had contacted Senator Osita Ngwu and the member representing the area in the House of Representatives, Anayo Onwuegbu, over the disaster.

Nwanjoku said he had sent photographs of the affected communities, including Ihube and Ihuezeoke in Okpanku, to the lawmakers.

According to him, Senator Ngwu had commenced discussions with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources over the emergency.

He added that he had also discussed concerns surrounding the Ivo Dam reservoir with Onwuegbu, with plans being considered for an inspection of the affected communities.

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

Nwanjoku said a joint inspection of the affected communities was expected after the election to assess the extent of the damage and consider measures to address the recurring flooding.

The disaster has left residents facing the loss of homes, farms, businesses and livelihoods, while displaced families continue to seek shelter in schools, town halls and religious centres.

With rainfall continuing and floodwaters yet to recede, residents and community leaders are calling for immediate evacuation assistance, relief materials, assessment of damaged properties and urgent measures to prevent further loss of lives.