By Sunday Ameh
A grieving mother of seven, Mrs. Mercy Edu, has recounted the devastating loss of four of her children after a landslide triggered by prolonged rainfall buried their home in Ikot Anwatim community, Calabar, Cross River State.
Speaking in an interview, Edu described the tragedy as the darkest moment of her life, saying no amount of compensation could ease the pain of losing her children.
She explained that on the night of the incident, she was attending to customers at her foodstuff shop while five of her children were at home after returning from school. According to her, hours of heavy rainfall caused a building on a nearby hill to collapse onto their house, burying the children beneath mud and rubble.
Four of the children—Bright, 18, Godswill, 9, Richard, 7, and Daniel, 6—lost their lives, while one child survived after being rescued by neighbours.
Edu described the deceased children as brilliant, hardworking, and well-behaved, noting that Bright had just completed the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and was preparing to study Nursing, while the younger children consistently excelled in school.
She dismissed reports suggesting that structural defects caused the disaster, insisting that the tragedy resulted from the intensity of the rainfall and the landslide from the adjoining hill.
The bereaved mother acknowledged the ₦2 million support provided by the Cross River State Government following Governor Bassey Otu’s visit but appealed for additional assistance, including a new home, medical and psychological care, and support to rebuild her livelihood.
She also urged the government to address erosion-prone areas in the community to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
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