A catastrophic landslide in the Ikot Awatim Community of Calabar Municipality, Cross River State, has claimed the lives of five people, including four children from the same family. The tragedy occurred on the night of Friday, 10 July 2026, following hours of heavy rainfall that caused widespread flooding and property destruction across the city.
Community youths launched frantic rescue efforts through the night, recovering the bodies of the victims from the rubble. The deceased were identified as four children of Mr. and Mrs. Kingsley Etim Edu—Bright Kingsley Edu (18), Godswill Kingsley Edu (12), Daniel Kingsley Edu (11), and Richard Kingsley Edu (10)—and a man known only as Mr. Udo, believed to be a tanker driver attached to a fuel depot.
Mother's heart-wrenching account
According to residents, the children's mother, Mrs. Mercy Kingsley Edu, was attending a church service when the rain intensified. Concerned about the worsening weather, the children left the church ahead of her to return home. Their father, a Homeland Security personnel, was away on duty.
Speaking to Cross River Watch on Saturday, 11 July, Mrs. Edu struggled to describe the loss. She explained that the children arrived home, changed into dry clothes, and lay down to rest on their bed, unaware that disaster was imminent. The collapsing earth buried the house, trapping the children beneath the debris.
“Everything was buried in the landslide, taking my children and leaving us hopeless and homeless,” she cried. Overwhelmed with grief, she repeatedly questioned, “Why me? Why me? Four out of seven gone in one day. At least it should have been an accident that claimed their legs, not four children buried in one day. Where will I start? My husband never buys anything for himself because he wants his children to go to school. Three boys and a girl… all gone.”
Community in mourning
Her husband, Mr. Kingsley Edu, was too devastated to speak as sympathizers gathered around the family. The bodies of the four children were buried shortly after recovery, while the remains of Mr. Udo were deposited in a mortuary.
The tragedy has thrown Ikot Awatim Community into mourning, with residents and sympathizers flocking to the scene to console the bereaved family and witness the scale of the devastation. Community members have appealed to the Cross River State Government, led by Governor Bassey Edet Otu, as well as well-meaning Cross Riverians, to come to the aid of the family, who have not only lost four children but have also been left without shelter after their home was destroyed.
