A tragic incident occurred on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, in Ore, the headquarters of Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, where two teenage brothers lost their lives after drowning in a swollen river known as Omileye.
According to eyewitnesses, the devastating event happened following several hours of torrential rainfall that caused the river to overflow its banks. The resulting flood swept away the boys as they attempted to cross the river on their way home from summer classes.
Before the incident, the siblings had reportedly taken shelter at their father’s mechanic workshop to wait out the rain. A local resident explained that once the rainfall subsided, the boys left the workshop unaware that the footbridge across the river had been destroyed by the floodwaters.
“It rained all day. It was a terrible day,” a source in the area recounted. “The boys’ father became alarmed when he returned home and discovered they had not arrived. He immediately organised a search party. After several hours of searching, their lifeless bodies were eventually found along the riverbank, entangled in debris at separate locations.”
The entire community has been thrown into mourning, as neighbours and sympathisers gathered at the family’s residence to offer condolences and support.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, residents expressed deep frustration and concern over the lack of infrastructure in the area. Many pointed out that the Omileye River had long posed a danger, particularly during the rainy season, due to the absence of a reliable footbridge or proper flood control measures.
“Every rainy season, this river becomes a threat. We’ve made countless complaints, yet nothing has been done. Government must act now before more lives are lost,” one distraught resident lamented.
The heartbreaking incident has reignited calls for urgent government intervention to prevent future occurrences and to improve safety infrastructure in vulnerable communities.