Flood Nearly Sweeps Away Nigerian Soldier in Edo; Passers-by Rescue Him

A Nigerian soldier was rescued from being swept away by floodwaters in Auchi, the administrative headquarters of Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, over the weekend.

According to Nigeria News 247, the incident occurred near the Igbira Camp during a heavy downpour. The soldier, who is attached to the Nigerian Army School of Engineering in Auchi, reportedly lost his footing while attempting to leap across a flooded drainage channel and fell into the fast-moving water.

Eyewitnesses said the soldier was carried several metres by the raging current before being rescued by quick-thinking passers-by and local residents.

“People saw him fall in and immediately ran along the drainage route. They created a makeshift barricade at the other end of the channel and managed to pull him out alive,” a witness told Nigeria News 247 on condition of anonymity.

While efforts to reach the spokesperson of the 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report, a source close to the command confirmed that the soldier is not under the 4 Brigade but is affiliated with a military training institution in Auchi. The source also confirmed that the soldier was successfully rescued and is safe.