Two children have been confirmed dead and no fewer than 14 villages submerged following devastating flooding that swept through Mpu and Okpanku communities in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The flooding, which followed hours of heavy rainfall beginning on Monday night and continuing into Wednesday, destroyed houses, farmlands, crops and other property, while forcing residents from several communities to seek refuge in public buildings and places of worship.
The affected areas include Ukey and other parts of Mpu, as well as several villages in Okpanku. Residents said the situation remained critical as floodwaters continued to rise, with heavy rain still falling in parts of the area.
The development has reportedly destroyed large quantities of farm produce, including yam, cassava, vegetables and rice, threatening the livelihoods of farming families across the affected communities
More than 10 buildings have also reportedly collapsed, while several other residential structures have been inundated by floodwater.
The most tragic incident occurred at Obiagu Okomigbo in Mpu, where two children from the same family reportedly drowned after they were swept away by 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 flooding as unprecedented.
Ogbuke said eight villages in Okpanku and six villages in Mpu had been affected, with floodwaters entering residential areas and cutting off communities from one another.
“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,” Ogbuke said.
“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 the flooding had continued for almost 48 hours and that the situation became worse as rainfall resumed 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,” he said.
The flooding has also severely disrupted transportation between Mpu and Okpanku, with the road linking both communities reportedly cut off.
The popular Ivo Bridge has also been overtaken by floodwater, preventing residents from crossing between the two communities.
“What it means is that people from Okpanku, particularly some three villages in Okpanku, can no longer access the far side of Okpanku,” Ogbuke 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.”
Officials from the National Emergency Management Agency and the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency reportedly visited the affected areas but were unable to cross some of the flooded sections.
The Chairman of Aninri Local Government Area, Prince Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, also visited the communities but reportedly could not cross from Mpu to Okpanku because of the floodwaters.
“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,” Ogbuke said.
He said the destruction extended far beyond residential buildings, with hectares of farmland completely covered by floodwater.
“Not to talk of farmlands, hectares of land have been covered by the flood. It is so devastating,” he said.
The floodwater has also reached areas around the country home of former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, further illustrating the extent to which the disaster has moved beyond farmland and into residential areas.
“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,” Ogbuke said.
The disaster has also displaced residents from several villages.
According to Ogbuke, some displaced residents from Mpu are currently taking shelter at Amachara Town Hall, while residents of Ukey Mpu have moved to Ukwu Primary School.
Residents of Amiyi Okpanku, he added, have sought refuge at a Methodist Church.
The two children who died were reportedly siblings aged seven and eight.
“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,” Ogbuke said.
The latest disaster has renewed concerns over the long-running Ivo River Dam project, which has previously been linked by residents and some reports to recurring flooding in Mpu, Okpanku and surrounding communities.
Ogbuke attributed the latest flooding partly to the abandoned dam project, although the claim that the dam caused the current flooding has not been independently established.
“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.”
There is, however, documented evidence that concerns over the incomplete Ivo Dam have previously been raised at the federal level.
In October 2024, the House of Representatives recorded concerns that flooding from the uncompleted dam spillway had destroyed farmlands and extended into residential areas in Mpu, Okpanku, Ishiagu and surrounding communities. The House subsequently called for relief materials for affected residents and urged the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to prioritise completion of the project.
A 2024 report also documented complaints from farmers in Mpu and Okpanku over recurrent flooding associated by residents with the abandoned Ivo River Dam, which was reportedly started in 2012 but left incomplete.
However, those previous concerns do not independently establish that the dam caused the September 2026 flooding. The immediate causes and the contribution, if any, of the dam infrastructure would require technical assessment by the relevant authorities.
A resident of Ukey, Mpu, said the situation remained unpredictable and appealed for immediate intervention.
“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 Aninri Local Government chairman, Nwanjoku, has also reportedly contacted Senator Osita Ngwu and Hon. Anayo Onwuegbu over the situation and shared photographs showing the extent of the flooding in affected communities, including Ihube and Ihuezeoke in Okpanku.
According to reports, Senator Ngwu has begun discussions with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources over the emergency, while Nwanjoku also discussed concerns surrounding the Ivo Dam reservoir with Onwuegbu.
Plans were reportedly being considered for an inspection of the affected communities.
“This is practically unacceptable. What a loss!” Nwanjoku said.
He said a joint inspection of the affected areas was expected after the election to assess the extent of the damage and identify a lasting solution to the recurring flooding.
The flooding has already resulted in significant destruction of homes, farms and access routes, while displaced residents urgently require shelter, food, medical assistance and other relief materials.
Ogbuke warned that the failure of the water to recede could lead to further casualties if urgent action was not taken.
“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.
The latest flooding comes amid a broader pattern of severe rainfall and flood emergencies across parts of southeastern Nigeria. The Federal Government had previously identified hundreds of communities nationwide as being at varying levels of flood risk and warned that heavy rainfall, saturated soil, rapid surface runoff and rising river levels could trigger flooding.
As the waters continue to rise in parts of Mpu and Okpanku, residents are calling for immediate evacuation of vulnerable people, rescue operations, food and medical supplies, temporary shelter and urgent assessment of damaged homes, roads and farmlands.
The Federal Government, Enugu State Government, Aninri Local Government Council, NEMA, SEMA, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and elected representatives face growing pressure to coordinate an emergency response and determine the extent and causes of the destruction.