16-year-old boy drowns while swimming in Rivers

It was a tragic scene when a 16-year-old boy drowned in a river while swimming with friends in Ogoloma community in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State on Saturday. The deceased, identified as Miebaka Koko, reportedly went swimming with three of his friends at Derock Waterside in Ogoloma when he was swept away by a strong water current. According to eyewitnesses, the victim’s friends quickly ran out of the water to seek help after realising that he was in distress. Speaking to journalists, the Sector Commander of the Civilian Joint Task Force in Okrika LGA, Igwe Godswill, attributed the incident to the increased depth of the river caused by dredging activities in the area. Godswill stated, “Companies have dredged almost all the waterfront areas in Okrika Local Government Area. The dredging has made the river much deeper. Just a step away from the riverbank can be dangerously deep.” Recounting the incident, Godswill said, “At about 1:30 p.m. yesterday, four boys left the community and went to Derock Waterside in Ogoloma to swim. “They entered the water, and shortly afterward, we saw the boys running out. A woman was also shouting for help. We rushed to the scene with another man and tried to rescue the boy. At one point, we could only see his hands above the water. “However, the current was very strong, and the man who attempted to rescue him could not reach him. Unfortunately, the boy drowned. It is very painful.” Related News Two killed, 10 houses razed after clash in Kwara community Rainbow Coalition will choose Rivers gov candidate for 2027 — Wike Monarch seeks road construction in Ondo community He noted that recovering bodies from rivers in the area is often difficult and can take several days. “If you are from this part of Rivers State, you will know that when someone drowns in our rivers, it often takes two or three days before the body can be recovered,” he added. Godswill urged parents to caution their children against swimming in unsafe locations and to closely monitor their movements. “I advise parents to warn their children about where they swim. Most of our rivers have been dredged and are now very dangerous. Parents should also keep track of where their children go,” Godswill said. The task force commander further disclosed that security personnel, including a police officer and soldiers from Sector 3, witnessed the incident. Our correspondent reports that, as of the time of filing this report, the body of the boy had not been recovered. When contacted, the spokesperson of the State Command, Blessing Agabe, said that although no fo