A Catholic priest and a female worshipper have been confirmed dead after they were swept away by a devastating flood that occurred following a rainfall experienced after the downpour subsided in the state.
The clergyman at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Gulu, James Omeh, and the female worshipper, Charity John, were said to have died their Hilux vehicle was swept away by floodwaters.
The tragedy was said to occurred yesterday near a river beside Duma village in Niger State along the Lapai-Gulu Road after a bridge on the road collapsed, preventing vehicular movements.
“Rev. Fr. Omeh, who was driving a white Hilux, was swept away by the flood into a deep, water-filled ditch. Local volunteers, with assistance from the Sarkin Ruwa, later recovered the vehicle. Sadly, the lifeless bodies of Rev. Fr. Omeh and a woman passenger were recovered at the scene,” a local source said.
The residents have, however, blamed the state of the road for the fatalities, urging government intervention to avoid further tragedies.
Niger State Police spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun, who confirmed the fatalities through a statement on Monday, disclosed that their bodies and the vehicle have been handed over to the church after recovered around the scene.
“On 25th May 2025 around 1 p.m., information was received that Rev. Fr. James Omeh of St. Anthony Catholic Church Gulu via Lapai and one Charity John were heading to Gulu village in a white Toyota Hilux vehicle, were reportedly swept away by flood into a flooded stream as a result of the heavy downpour and got drowned.”
The road, which connects parts of Niger and Kogi States, remains in deplorable condition and is prone to deadly flooding during heavy rains.
