Ekpoma, Edo State — A commercial motorbike rider was swept away by floodwaters in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area, following heavy rainfall that began Monday night and continued into September 16th Tuesday morning. The incident occurred at Uwenlenbo Road, near Zekor Hotel, when the rider, who had a female passenger, struggled against the fast flow of water.
According to eyewitnesses, protective drainage channels were lacking, exacerbating the flooding. The rider, later identified as Mr. Frank Omoruyi, from Ehor in Uhunmwode LGA, was unable to maintain control of his motorcycle and was washed into a burrow pit. His female passenger escaped by alighting from the bike before the flood overtook them.
Residents and fellow commercial motorcyclists launched immediate search efforts. By around 5 pm, community members, including other bike riders, had located and retrieved his lifeless body from the burrow pit. The corpse was then transported to a waiting vehicle in a video widely shared on social media.
The tragedy has triggered appeals for urgent government action to improve drainage infrastructure in flood-prone areas of Edo State. Local leaders have called for preventive measures to reduce future loss of life and property, especially during rainy seasons.
