By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
A two-year-old boy, Godwin Kumfa, has reportedly drowned in the Meme River, located in the Phase II area of Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.
His father, Mr. Mamtip Kumfa, disclosed that he received a distress call from a neighbour around 7:30 a.m. informing him that his son was missing.
Mr. Kumfa, a security guard at a private school, said he rushed home to find his wife searching frantically along the riverbank.
According to him, his wife had left Godwin seated by the riverside while she went to collect sand for commercial purposes. However, on her return, the boy was nowhere to be found.
“Godwin was left alone by the riverside while she gathered sand,” Kumfa said, his voice heavy with grief.
“Later, we found one of his shoes near Arigbede, about 10 kilometres downstream. I’m devastated. Godwin is my only son,” he added.
A family friend, Mr. Seun Babalola, said they followed the river path but could only locate the boy’s shoe further downstream.
He also recalled that a similar incident occurred at the same river two years ago, involving another young boy.
“Two years ago, a seven-year-old named Goodluck Friday also drowned here. It’s heartbreaking,” Babalola said.
The boy’s mother, Mrs. Lovina Kumfa, wept uncontrollably, calling for divine intervention.
“I left him just for a while. When I came back, he was gone. Please, God, help me find my child,” she cried.
The community remains in shock as family members, friends, and neighbours rally around the grieving parents.
As of the time of filing this report, local search efforts to recover the child were still ongoing.
