A Deputy Superintendent of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Michael Apepende, has lost his life after he was reportedly swept away by floodwaters following a heavy downpour in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
The tragic incident occurred on Thursday night along Barrack Road, near the Chronicle area, where the officer was said to have been riding on a motorcycle when he was overwhelmed by the surging flood.
His body was recovered from a drainage channel on Friday morning.
The Cross River State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata.
According to the statement, “the Command has confirmed the recovery of the body of a male adult from a drainage channel along Barrack Road, by Chronicle, Calabar, at about 10:30 a.m. today, Friday, 28 August 2026.
“Upon receipt of the information, a team of police officers from Akim Division responded to the scene and recovered the body from the drainage channel.
“The deceased has been identified as Deputy Superintendent of Correctional Service (DSC) Michael Apepende, a personnel of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
“The body has been conveyed to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital for autopsy to assist in establishing the circumstances and cause of death.”
Akata added that the Command has commenced an investigation into the incident and appealed to members of the public to refrain from speculating on the circumstances surrounding the officer’s death until investigations are concluded.
Meanwhile, sources familiar with the incident said Apepende, who is survived by his young family, drowned after being overpowered by the fast-rising floodwaters during the heavy rainfall.
