11th October, 2012
A woman and her daughter reportedly drowned in Ihiala, Anambra, on Wednesday when they went to harvest cassava from their flooded farm.
Mrs Chioma Afugwobi and her SS-3 student daughter, Edith, reportedly went to the farm in a canoe but could not swim to safety when the canoe capsized on their way back, the News Agency of Nigeria has reported.
Confirming the incident to newsmen on Thursday in Umudara village, Ihiala, Mr Nduka Onyemueze, the Proprietor of First Foundation Secondary School, Ihiala, Edith’s school, said that the incident took place around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Onyemueze said Edith and her mother went to harvest cassava already submerged by the flood in their farm and on their way back their canoe capsized.
“Their canoe capsized, they fell into the water and were unable to swim to safety and drowned before swimmers came around.
“All efforts to revive them after pulling them out of the water proved abortive,’’ he said, while describing Edith as a brilliant student,’’ he said.
The Public Relations Officer of the Anambra police command, Mr Ralph Uzoigwe, said he had yet to be briefed on the tragedy.