Flood from a heavy downpour which lasted several hours in Uselu community, Egor local government area of Edo stateon Tuesday has led the death of a six-year old pupil .
This caused members of the community to block the busy Uselu-Lagos road with bonfires while motorists were made to take other routes to Ugbowo and the Kings Square in a protest.
Several sign boards of the Edo State Government in the area were pulled down by the angry protesters.
They said their anger stemmed from the inability of the State Government to send its officials to help find the body of the pupil identified as Segun.
Leader of the protesters, Mr. Oni Enoma, said the drainage was a death trap and a nightmare to them whenever it rains.
He said they would leave the streets if the state government began moves to cover to drainage.
According to him, “A woman and her baby fell into a death trap they call gutter. It was an Hausa man that dragged the woman out but the baby fell inside. but we have not been able to find the body of the boy.
“We were surprised that nothing has been done by the fire fighters and the state government to find the body. We want the Commissioner of Works to come and cover the drainage or we will not stop this protests. We want them to cover that death trap.
Another protester who gave his name as Augustine Idahosa said the incident happened at about 2pm on Monday.
“This is part of the N30bn water storm project. We blocked the road to make the government come and recover the body,” he said.
Late Segun and his mother whose name was given as Latifat were walking home with
after school hours when they slipped into an open drainage at the Omosogie junction along Bénin-Uselu road.
An eye witness who gave his name as Kehinde said it was an Hausa boy scavenging for scraps that saved the woman but her son fell in.
“I quickly jumped inside the gutter but the boy was already gone. We have searched everywhere but we did not see the body.
“The boy is scheduled for graduation ceremony to primary one next week”.
Policemen were on ground to prevent any break down of law and order.
At Okhoro junction along New Lagos road in Benin City, a three-year old girl was said to have also been swept away by flood.
Identity of the victim was not available as at press time.
