A heartbreaking tragedy has struck the community of Boji-Boji, Agbor, in the Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State, as a 2-year-old girl, Fortress Isiza, remains missing after being swept away by powerful floodwaters during a heavy downpour on the morning of Tuesday, May 13, 2025.
The incident occurred around 7:00 a.m. when Fortress, her mother, and her older brother were on their way to school. Her mother, Mrs. Naomi Isiza, who serves as the Assistant Headmistress of Christi Angels Elementary/Nursery School, was transporting her children on a motorcycle—a common mode of transportation in the area.
Tragically, while navigating through the flooded streets, Mrs. Isiza unknowingly rode into an uncovered drainage at the junction of Deeper Life Street, just off Old Lagos/Asaba Road, a location notorious for flooding and known among locals as a “death trap.”
In a matter of seconds, the forceful floodwaters overturned the motorcycle, throwing all three passengers into the open drain. While nearby residents rushed to the scene and managed to rescue Mrs. Isiza and her son, little Fortress was swept away by the strong current before she could be reached.
The community quickly mobilized, and emergency efforts to locate the child were launched. Despite intensive searches carried out by local volunteers, security personnel, and concerned citizens, the toddler has yet to be found as of the time this report was filed.
The tragedy has drawn renewed attention to the dire state of infrastructure in Boji-Boji and the surrounding communities. Residents have repeatedly called on local authorities to address the hazardous conditions caused by poorly maintained drainage systems, uncompleted roadworks, and inadequate flood control. Many lament that the danger posed by such infrastructural neglect has been overlooked for too long.
Tragically, this is not the first time the area has witnessed such a loss. In a similar incident on November 3, 2023, a primary four pupil named Favour Chukwuemeke reportedly lost her life after being carried away by floodwaters in the same vicinity. These recurring disasters underline the urgent need for government intervention and proactive safety measures to prevent further loss of life.
Fortress Isiza had only recently celebrated her second birthday, bringing joy to her family and the school community. Her disappearance has plunged her family and the wider community into deep sorrow and anxiety. Friends, teachers, and neighbors continue to hold onto hope, praying for a miracle as the search continues.
The Isiza family, while devastated, has expressed gratitude for the community’s support and is pleading with the authorities to intensify the search and finally implement lasting solutions to the drainage issues plaguing the area.
As Delta State reels from this devastating event, the cry for justice, accountability, and infrastructure reform grows louder. For now, all eyes remain fixed on the waters, clinging to the hope that little Fortress will somehow be found and returned to her grieving family.