A primary six pupil simply identified as Joshua has been swept away by flood in Ikosi, Ketu area of Lagos State.
The pupil was returning home from school alongside his colleagues when the incident occurred.
Reacting to the tragedy, Joshua’s mother, a fruit seller, wept and lamented the loss of her only child.
“Joshua died hungry and cold. He was in primary six; he was supposed to write his common entrance exam,” she told Daily Trust.
A witness, who is also a youth leader in the area, known as Oloyede, said he saw children in the rain and warned them to be careful because of the area.
“But unfortunately, the plank that was used to bridge the canal was completely covered by water, and they fell into the drainage.
“I managed to swim and rescue one of them, but unfortunately, Joshua was swept away by the heavy currents and died,” he said.
A community leader, who spoke off the record, blamed the government for abandoning a project to channel the drainage, leaving the area prone to flooding.