A middle-aged man has reportedly drowned in Oko community, Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State as a result of the ravaging flood in some parts of the state.
The incident was said to have occurred on Friday night when people were returning from the day’s outing.
Although details of the tragic incident are sketchy, there are conflicting accounts on what resulted in the incident.
Community sources informed that the victim drowned in the overflowing water when a canoe he was being ferried with capsized following an alleged hot pursuit by youths suspected to be illegal tax collectors.
But confirming the death of the victim, public relations officer of the state police command, DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya who spoke on phone said the information she got was that somebody drowned.
Onovwakpoyeya said the bereaved father of the victim said they were dredging when the son suddenly “fell into the water. That he was being pursued by illegal tax collectors, I don’t know of that.”
Regardless, a community source who claimed to be a farmer at Omeligboma community in Oko insisted that “the man got drowned when their boat capsized because they were being chased by youths who usually intercept and extort money from canoe operators who ferry people from the Asaba end of River Niger Bridge Head to the communities in Oko.
“This morning we woke up to hear that someone commissioned our people to search for the dead body in the river and as soon as we recover it, we shall call the police to take away the body.”
The source condemned the excesses of the youths in the area for taking advantage of the flood situation to bring more economic pains on the people who seek a living by deploying their canoes to ferry residents to and from their places of work.
He warned that if not checked, the trend could escalate, and cause more havoc.