FCT high court financial director swept away in floods as he was driving to the airport

FEDERAL Capital Territory (FCT) High Court finance director Tony Okecheme is thought to have lost his life after his car was swept away in recent deluge while he was driving to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

In an unprecedented tragedy, Mr Okecheme was driving his official 2017 Toyota Camry when his car got stuck in the flood at Galadimawa roundabout, Abuja. He was subsequently swept away by the raging flood but his driver, whose name could not be immediately ascertained, was rescued by some young boys in the area.

His driver was said to have been taken to Asokoro hospital but his boss was yet to be located as of the time of filing this report. Eyewitnesses said the National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) officials who came to the scene failed to rescue Mr Okecheme and his driver who were trapped in the flood for about an hour before the water swept him away.

His car, which was filled with muddy water, was, however, pulled out of the ravines by the rescuers, who were angry over Nema’s failure to rescue the man. Two young girls who claimed to be Mr Okecheme’s children were seen weeping uncontrollably at the scene of the incident.

One FCT judiciary worker identified the car as belonging to Mr Okecheme, adding: “I phoned him yesterday that I was broke and he promised to send me money before he travels today. I got N40,000 from him this morning.”