By Stephen Adeleye in Lokoja.
Tragedy struck in Lokoja on Monday morning as a two-year-old boy, Godwin Kumfa, drowned in the Meme River near his family’s residence in Phase Two Extension.
The incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. behind the Navy Quarters in the Phase Two area of the city.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the boy’s father, Mr. Mamtip Kumfa, said he received a distress call from a neighbour informing him that Godwin was missing.
Kumfa, a security guard at a private school, rushed home to find his wife frantically searching by the riverside.
He explained that his wife had left Godwin sitting near the riverbank while she went to fetch sand, only to return moments later and discover he had disappeared.
“Godwin was left alone by the river while she gathered sand,” Kumfa said, his voice heavy with sorrow. “Later, we found one of his shoes near Arigbede, about 15 kilometres downstream. I’m lost… Godwin is my only son.”
A family friend, Mr. Seun Babalola, confirmed the discovery of the shoe and noted that this was not the first time such a tragedy had occurred at the river.
“Two years ago, a seven-year-old boy named Goodluck Friday also drowned here. It’s heartbreaking. We don’t know if it’s just nature or something else. Only God knows,” he said.
Godwin’s mother, Mrs. Lovina Kumfa, wept uncontrollably at the scene, calling for help and divine intervention.
“I left him for just a short while… When I came back, he was gone. Please, God, help me find my child,” she cried.
The incident has left the community in shock, as neighbours and sympathizers gathered to support the grieving family.
As of the time of filing this report, local search efforts were still underway to recover the child or his remains.
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Edited by Dada Ahmed.
