The busy Community of Igbogene in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State was on Monday evening thrown into mourning as a 16-year-old boy identified as Temedi Agbede Yerimene, drowned in the flood that has taken over the community.
Yerimene was said to have gone swimming at the entrance of the state ecumenical centre when he was swept away.
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An eyewitness told Daily Trust that the boy’s body might have been dragged into the deep canal close to the Bayelsa Gateway road, along the East-West road.
He said efforts by the search party to recover his body proved abortive as people were struggling to flee from the community due to the rising water level.
The mother of the deceased, who identified herself as Mama Carol, confirmed the tragic incident.
She said: “I went to the market to get ingredients for lunch. When I came back from the market, I was told he had gone swimming with friends. But I thought he was swimming in the rising water level at the compound. Until one of his friends told me he had been dragged by the flood into the canal.”
Already, the state government had last week shut down schools in the state to guide against students and pupils being drowned.
Police spokesman in Bayelsa State, SP Asinim Butswat, said the matter was yet to be reported to the police as of Tuesday morning, but promised to find out from the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area.
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