Devastating flooding has ravaged communities in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State, displacing hundreds of residents and destroying houses, shops, and farmlands worth millions of naira.
The affected communities are Mpu, Okpanku, Ndiabor, Oduma and Nenwe. The flood began on the evening of Sunday, September 20, 2026, and intensified on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 22 and 23, after more than 48 hours of continuous heavy rainfall. bf9faec8
Scale of destruction
– 14 villages submerged — 8 villages in Okpanku and 6 in Mpu
– Over 10 houses collapsed after the flood persisted for about 48 hours, with many more submerged
– Extensive rice, yam, cassava and vegetable farms washed away
– Shops at Afor Okpanku Market, including rice mills, have remained underwater for two days, with goods worth millions trapped
– The popular Ivo Bridge has been overtaken by floodwaters, cutting off movement. The road from Mpu to Okpanku is completely cut off. Three villages in Okpanku cannot access the other part of the town aec89b77
As of Wednesday afternoon, rainfall was still being recorded and water levels were still rising into residential areas. 9b77
Two children dead
Tragically, two brothers aged seven and eight were swept away by the floodwaters two days before the situation worsened. The Chairman of NUJ Enugu State Council, Comrade Obinna Ogbuke, who is a native of Mpu, said: aec8
> “I’ve never witnessed this kind of high level of flooding before. It’s so bad, so devastating” aec8
Cause and calls for help
The Councillor representing Mpu Ward, Hon. Edwin Ogbuka, attributed the flooding to the overflow of water from the abandoned Ivo Dam project and described the situation as life-threatening. bf9f
Community leaders said displaced residents are now taking refuge at Amachalla Town School. The Youth Leader of Okpanku, Mr George Ahaefuna, said: bf9f
> “Since I was born, I have never seen this kind of flood in my life. The flood has destroyed all we have laboured for this year. It has destroyed our crops, rice and yam farms worth millions of naira.” bf9f
Residents are appealing to the Federal Government, Enugu State Government, NEMA and SEMA for urgent relief.
On Wednesday, the member representing Aninri constituency, Hon Magnus Ede, and aides to Governor Peter Mbah visited the scene. Ede promised to submit a report to the governor for immediate support, describing the incident as “heart-wrenching”. f010
The flood comes as the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) warned that over 8,000 communities across 15 states including Enugu are at risk of flooding between September 19-25. 6deb
