A grieving mother of seven, Mrs Mercy Edu, from Ikot Anwatim community, Calabar, Cross River State, shares with EMEM JULIUS how she lost four children to a landslide caused by hours of heavy rainfall
Could you introduce yourself?
My name is Mrs Mercy Edu. I live in the Ikot Anwatim community in Calabar, Cross River State. I am married to Mr Kingsley Edu and a mother of seven.
Take us back to that day. What exactly happened during the hours of heavy rainfall that led to the landslide in Ikot Anwatim?I was not at home; I was in my shop where I sell foodstuffs. That is what I do to help the family survive. It was around 8.30 pm, and the rain had been falling heavily for days, not just here but across Calabar, the state capital.
Three of my children were already at home because of the rain. The other two were with me at the shop. They said they wanted to go home and change because they were soaked by the rain while coming back from school. They got home safely and met their siblings. So, five of them were in the house.
Then we heard a loud sound. The house on top of the hill was dragged down by the pressure of the rain. Within minutes, it crashed onto our own house. Mud and water rushed in like a river. Four of my children died instantly. Only one was rescued by neighbours.Was the rain that heavy on the day the incident happened?
It rained for days without stopping. That led to the death of my children – one female and three males.
It would have killed all five of them who were inside. It is a very painful situation. You can imagine sleeping in your mother’s house to rest and relax, and then another house collapses and hits your building.
I watched everything I loved, cherished, and treasured disappear within the blink of an eye. It is very painful. To think they went home to rest and a building from the hill came down on them is heartbreaking.
How old were each of your children and what were their names?
Bright Edu was 18, Godswill was nine years old, Richard was seven, and my baby, Daniel, was just six years old. Bright was helping me in the kitchen. All of them were helpful. They were my joy. They were the reason I woke up every morning.
Were they in school, and what class or level had they attained?Yes, all of them were in school. Bright sat WASSCE in 2025. She wanted to be a nurse and was preparing for university. Godswill was in JSS2. Richard and Daniel were in Primary 1 and were about to move to Primary 2. Their books were still on the table. Their uniforms were still hanging. Now, they are no more… (Sobs)
I struggled to give them a good education. They were brilliant. They always came first or second in class. Their teachers loved them. Even in church, they represented us well. It pains me that they died with all that intelligence and promise.
I really had hope that one day they would grow up and change my situation in life. I tried my best to ensure that I gave those children a good education. They were brilliant.
What caused the building to collapse? Was it the intensity of the rain, the terrain, or structural failure?
The rain was too much. The ground became soft, and the hill could not hold any more. Our house was at the foot of the hill. When the landslide came, it pushed the wall down. The building did not have a strong foundation to withstand that kind of water.
How did you get the news of the incident?
While I was at the shop, I received a call to come back home. I tried to find out what happened, but nobody told me anything until I got home. I saw my house crushed by another building.It was never a structural failure. The damage was caused by the downpour. If the rain had not fallen heavily, it would not have pushed the other house from the hill to destroy our house. For many years, I suffered to nurture my children. This is what I have received as a reward.
The terrain is sloping. Flooding has damaged and devastated this community. Even moving from the access road down here is not easy. The landslide struck unexpectedly and claimed the lives of my children.
How many people were in the house when the landslide struck?
There were five children in the house. When the incident occurred, only one of them was saved. The building had fallen on the other four, and they died.
Neighbours brought torchlights and digging tools, but the four of them who were lying down in the house because of the rain were already gone. The house collapsed on them, and they died. Only one person survived.
The neighbours were able to save one person out of the five. Though she sustained injuries, we thank God despite what has befallen me and my family at this difficult time.Can you tell us about your daughter’s condition and how she is coping now?
First, I thank God for the person who survived. When the landslide struck, neighbours were able to rescue only her. Her condition is improving. When the incident occurred, my sister, who lives in Akwa Ibom State, came and took the survivor there for treatment and medical care.
When I spoke with her, I was told she was responding to treatment. I know God will not fail me a second time. He will surely preserve her life for me as a remnant. I eat once a day because food has no taste anymore. My heart is heavy. Sometimes, I just sit and stare at their pictures. I am so broken.
Has the Cross River State Government reached out to you or your family since the tragedy? What form of assistance, if any, have you received?
The Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu, led other government officials to visit and console me. They sympathised with me and took photographs. They promised to help.
A few days later, my husband was invited to Government House, and the sum of N2m was given as support by the state government. I thank the governor for the show of love and support. I thank all the government officials for their words of encouragement.
But I must say that losing four children within a short time is not an easy pain. We all know the pain of carrying a child for nine months and raising the child from infancy through school age. It is not easy.No amount of money or material compensation can bring back my four children. They were my hope in this uncertain world. For many years, I suffered to raise them. Who knows whether there was a governor, president, minister, lecturer, lawyer, or military officer among them? I am telling you that no amount of money can heal the pain of this loss.
As a parent, you know the pain of losing one child. You know the wound it leaves in your heart. Therefore, losing four children in one night is a painful experience, and only God can heal our broken hearts.
What is your message to the government, humanitarian organisations, and Nigerians at large at this time? What kind of support do you need most urgently?
Well, no one would ever pray for this kind of devastating experience. No mother would want to experience this kind of pain. It can never be the wish of a mother to lose one child, let alone four in one night.
This period is very hard for me. Missing four children is painful. Those children were helpful in so many ways. They fetched water, gathered firewood, and ran errands.
In our society today, it is difficult to call someone’s child and send him on errands. If the parents accept it the first time, they may frown on it later.
So, losing four children who were of immense help is painful. These were children I could send on errands, and they would do them willingly. Losing them is deeply painful.My message is simple: no amount of money or material compensation can bring back the lives of my four children. But I am begging for help. I need a place to live. I need treatment for my heart and my mind. I need help to start a small business so that I will not beg.
To the government, please do something about these hills in Ikot Anwatim before more mothers cry like me. To Nigerians, please remember me in your prayers. I am empty. Only God and your help can sustain me now.
THIS INTERVIEW FIRST APPEARED IN PUNCH
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