By Peace Oloruntoba

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There was commotion in the Osi Igoba area of Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Tuesday, following a near-tragic incident involving a five-year-old girl identified as Sarah, who reportedly fell into a drainage channel and was miraculously rescued alive.

The incident occurred around 3:30 pm on May 13, 2025, when the child’s mother, popularly called Mummy Oyinbo, briefly left their home to run an errand, leaving the girl alone.

Eyewitnesses told Weekend Hope that the mother had stepped out, assuming her daughter was safe indoors. On returning, she noticed the cover of a nearby drain had given way and was horrified to see her daughter’s slippers floating in the murky water.

She immediately raised an alarm, recalling that she had previously observed the weakened condition of the drainage cover but assumed her husband, who was away at the time, would fix it.

Her cries for help attracted three passersby, who courageously entered the drain in a desperate search. They eventually rescued young Sarah, who was found alive but unconscious, with her stomach reportedly filled with waste and faeces.

She was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital with the help of neighbours, as the community expressed shock and relief over the girl’s survival.