Principal arrested as 12-year-old student dies in Edo flood

A 12-year-old student, Nathan Spencer, has lost his life after being swept away by floodwaters while on his way to write the Middle Basic Assessment Examination in Benin, the capital of Edo State.

It was gathered that the incident occurred along the Uselu-Ugbowo road during a downpour that left several parts of the city inundated last Saturday.

Spencer, a student of Future Leaders Academy in Benin, was heading to Liberty Secondary School in Uselu, Benin, his designated examination centre for the First School Leaving Certificate Examination.

Eyewitnesses said the floodwaters had submerged parts of the road, creating hazardous conditions for commuters and pedestrians.

A viral video circulating online after the flooding showed a man carrying the lifeless body of the student on his shoulders, with bystanders urging him to rush the 12-year-old boy to the nearest hospital.

Several onlookers could also be heard criticising the boy’s parents for allowing him to make the trip to the examination centre unaccompanied.

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Meanwhile, the Edo State Government said it has withdrawn operating licences of two schools over the incident.

The Edo State Commissioner of Education, Dr Paddy Iyamu, disclosed this when he paid a condolence visit to the parents of the deceased on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.

Iyamu stated that the headteacher of one of the two schools had also been arrested in connection with the incident.

The commissioner expressed the government’s displeasure over the incident, saying Governor Monday Okpebholo was deeply touched by the death and directed an immediate visit.

He said: “The state government will ensure that those responsible for the pupil’s death are held accountable.

“The principal is in police detention.”

The Star