Catholic priest dies after being swept away by flood in Niger State

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Catholic priest dies after being swept away by flood in Niger State

The Parish priest of St. Anthony ‘s Catholic Church, Gulu in Lapai Local Government Area of Nigeria State, Reverend Father James Omeh and a woman identified as Charity John, have died after they were swept away by flood.

Rev. Fr. Omeh also served as the Coordinator of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Lapai LGA.

The incident occurred following a heavy downpour on Sunday afternoon, May 25, 2026 which swept away the white Hilux vehicle in which Rev. Fr. Omeh and Charity John were traveling along the Lapai-Gulu Road near a river.

A source said Rev. Fr. Omeh was traveling to Gulu around 12 noon when he discovered that the Lapai-Gulu bridge had collapsed near Duma village.

As he to turned to go back to Duma, he was caught in a torrential downpour that caused rapidly rising floodwaters, which washed away his Hilux van.

“Rev. Fr. Omeh, who was driving a white Hilux, was swept away by the flood into a deep, water-filled ditch. Local volunteers, with assistance from the Sarkin Ruwa, later recovered the vehicle. Sadly, the lifeless bodies of Rev. Fr. Omeh and a woman were recovered at the scene,” he narrated

Residents told Daily Trust that the deplorable condition of the Lapai-Gulu Road has continued to raise concerns, prompting calls for urgent intervention to protect the lives of commuters who regularly use the route.

The spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident on Monday.

He said the lifeless bodies of the victims had been recovered and handed over to the church for burial

“On 25th May, 2025 around 1 p.m., information was received that Rev. Fr. James Omeh of St. Anthony Catholic Church Gulu via Lapai and one Charity John were heading to Gulu village in a white Toyota Hilux vehicle, were reportedly swept away by flood into a flooded stream as a result of the heavy downpour and got drowned,” the PPRO stated.

“Police operatives attached to Lapai Div moved to the scene, the bodies of the victims were recovered with the help of the community members and released to the Church for burial, while the vehicle was towed out of the stream.”