BY JUDE EHEBHA
EKPOMA – A torrential downpour on Tuesday, September 16, turned tragic in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, as raging floods claimed the life of a cocoa merchant, Mr. Frank Omoruyi, and destroyed several houses.
Omoruyi, who had attended a meeting of the Cocoa Association of Nigeria, Edo Central Chapter, was on his way back to his base in Igueben when the disaster struck. He reportedly ignored warnings not to ride through the flood at Uhiele–Opoji Road.
A viral video showed him struggling to control his motorcycle after his passenger disembarked, before being swept away by the raging waters.
His motorbike, marked AGB-130 WL (Delta), was later recovered and deposited at a police station, while his body was found at about 4:30 p.m. after a search.
Residents of Ehanlen-Uhiele community, where the flood wreaked havoc, blamed the ongoing Benin–Auchi Road construction by BUA Construction Company for diverting storm water into their area.
A community leader, Mr. Sunday Agbonifo, said the floodwaters had overwhelmed the local borrow pit, leading to massive destruction of homes and displacement of residents. He appealed to the construction company and government agencies to urgently intervene to avert further disaster.
