A 16-year-old boy, identified as Miebaka Koko, has reportedly drowned while swimming with friends in the Ogoloma community of Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The tragic incident occurred on Saturday at Derock Waterside, where the teenager and three of his friends had gone for a swim.
Eyewitnesses said the victim was suddenly swept away by a strong current, prompting his companions to rush out of the water and seek help after realising he was in distress.
Speaking on the incident on Sunday, the Sector Commander of the Civilian Joint Task Force in Okrika, Igwe Godswill, linked the tragedy to the increased depth of waterways in the area caused by extensive dredging activities.
According to him, several waterfronts across Okrika have become significantly deeper following dredging operations, making them increasingly hazardous for swimmers.
He explained that the four boys arrived at the waterside at about 1:30 p.m. and entered the river before the incident occurred.
“Shortly after they got into the water, we saw the boys running out while a woman nearby was shouting for help. We rushed to the scene and attempted a rescue,” he said.
Godswill recalled that rescuers could briefly see the victim’s hands above the water, but the force of the current made it impossible to reach him in time.
“The current was very strong. Despite efforts to save him, the boy was swept away and drowned. It is a heartbreaking incident,” he added.
The task force commander noted that recovering victims of drowning in the area’s rivers is often difficult, with search efforts sometimes lasting several days before bodies are found.
He urged parents and guardians to closely monitor their children and discourage them from swimming in unsafe locations, warning that many rivers in the area have become dangerous due to dredging.
Godswill also disclosed that security operatives, including military personnel and a police officer attached to Sector 3, witnessed the incident.
As of the time of filing this report, the teenager’s body had yet to be recovered.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the family had not formally reported the matter to the police.
She, however, confirmed that the command was aware of the incident and had commenced preliminary inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the drowning.
The police urged the victim’s relatives to officially report the case to facilitate a full-scale investigation.