Flood Allegedly Sweeps Away 13-Year-Old Girl in Abia, Family Raises Questions
The family of 13-year-old Adekunle Emanuela Ige, popularly known as Ella, is living through an agonising search after the teenager reportedly disappeared following heavy rainfall at the Federal Low Cost Housing Estate in Umuahia, Abia State.
Ella has been missing since Monday evening after she was allegedly sent on an errand shortly before heavy rain flooded parts of the area.
Her mother, Mrs. Adekunle Chinasa Ige, has appealed to residents, security agencies, emergency responders and other members of the public to help locate her daughter.
Speaking to ABN TV on Tuesday, Mrs. Ige said she travelled from Ohafia to Umuahia after receiving news that Ella was missing.
“I was told this morning. So we came down from Ohafia to this place to know what happened and how it all happened,” she said.
The mother said Ella, her first daughter, had been staying with her younger sister in Umuahia.
According to her, the younger sister sent Ella to buy an item before the rain became heavy and gave her an umbrella in case the weather worsened.
Concern reportedly grew when the teenager failed to return home after several hours, prompting relatives and residents to begin searching for her.
The family later visited the shop where Ella was reportedly sent to buy the item in an attempt to establish her last known movements.
Mrs. Ige said the shopkeeper told them that the rainfall was so heavy that floodwater covered the drainage channel in front of the shop, making it difficult to distinguish the gutter from the walkway.
The development has left the family with unanswered questions about exactly what happened to Ella after she left the shop.
Mrs. Ige wondered whether the teenager may have been unable to identify the drainage channel because it was covered by floodwater. She also questioned why Ella was not kept at the shop until the rain subsided or assisted across the flooded area.
The family’s concerns deepened after Ella’s two slippers were reportedly found around the area where she was believed to have fallen into the gutter.
Relatives and residents have since followed the drainage route and searched surrounding bushes and other areas without finding the teenager.
“My elder brother has even entered inside the bush and searched everywhere. But now, we couldn’t lay our hands on anywhere,” the distraught mother said.
Police have reportedly become involved in the matter, while the family says it is cooperating with the authorities as efforts continue to establish Ella’s whereabouts.
Mrs. Ige, who hails from Elu Ohafia in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State, made an emotional appeal for assistance.
“I’m appealing, please, if there is anything people can do, please help us,” she pleaded.
As of the latest available report, Ella had not been found.
While the family suspects that floodwater may have swept her away, the exact circumstances surrounding her disappearance remain unconfirmed. The family’s account concerning the slippers and other details at the scene has also not been independently verified.
The search continues as the family waits for answers about the whereabouts of the 13-year-old girl.
The report is based on the September 9, 2026 ABN TV report, which confirms that Ella was still missing and that her mother had appealed for help.
