The body of Success Ezenwafor, a pupil of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Primary School in Awka, Anambra State, who was swept away by floodwaters, has been recovered, authorities and multiple Nigerian news outlets have reported.
The development came on Wednesday, September 23, a day after the child went missing when a vehicle carrying schoolchildren was overwhelmed by floodwaters along the Awka–Nibo–Nise–Enugwu-Ukwu Ring Road, also known as the Nibo–Isiagu Road.
The incident occurred on Tuesday morning, September 22, following hours of heavy rainfall that triggered flash flooding across parts of Awka. Videos from the scene showed vehicles trapped in rapidly rising water and schoolchildren attempting to escape. 
According to the Anambra State Police Command, Safe School Operatives, working alongside local residents, rescued seven schoolchildren and two adults from the affected area. The survivors were taken to hospital for medical attention.
Success, however, remained missing after the rescue operation.
A family member later described the pupil as courageous, saying he reportedly broke a window of the vehicle, creating an escape route that enabled some of the other occupants to get out. Success himself was subsequently swept away by the floodwaters.
Viral ‘Found Alive’ Report Sparks False Hope
On Wednesday, social media users began widely circulating a claim that Success had been found alive beneath debris.
A post shared on X claimed that the boy had been rescued alive from under a large pile of debris and vegetation.
The post was accompanied by emotional video footage showing rescuers pulling a child from beneath rubble, prompting widespread celebration and relief online.
However, reports subsequently indicated that the viral video was unrelated to the Awka flood incident.
The footage reportedly showed another child who survived a separate incident involving a building collapse in Awgu, Enugu State.
The conflicting reports generated confusion among members of the public who had been following the search for Success.
Authorities Confirm Recovery of Body.
The Awka South Local Government chairman, Prince Chinedu Okafor, has since confirmed that Success’s body was recovered.
Okafor reportedly made the confirmation while at Amaku Teaching Hospital, where the rescued children were receiving treatment. TheCable and Independent Newspaper Nigeria also reported the recovery, citing the local government chairman and other sources.
TheCable reported that the boy’s body was recovered during the search operation, while the other children remained in stable condition and were receiving medical care.
The recovery brings an end to the search for the young pupil, but also turns what many had hoped would be a miraculous rescue into a tragic loss for his family and community.
Flooding Raises Fresh Safety Concerns in Anambra
The tragedy has renewed concerns about the dangers posed by flash floods in Anambra, particularly along roads used by schoolchildren, motorists and other commuters.
The Anambra State Government said emergency agencies, including the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the state fire service, mobilised after the school bus became trapped in the flood.
Following the latest flooding incidents, residents have also been urged to avoid crossing flooded roads and waterways and to move to safer areas whenever conditions become dangerous.
For the Ezenwafor family, the recovery of Success’s body ends a desperate search that began after he left for school on Tuesday morning.
The incident has also highlighted the potentially fatal speed and force of flash floods, particularly when vehicles become trapped on flooded roads.
As of the latest reports on Wednesday, September 23, authorities have confirmed the recovery of Success Ezenwafor’s body. The viral claim that he was found alive under debris does not appear to relate to the Awka incident.
Independent
