At least four teenage girls were confirmed dead, one other survived after they were drowned while bathing in a pond in Malkaderi village of Gagarawa LGA, Jigawa State.
The victims aged between 8-13 years were bathing in the pond when a heavy waterwaves overpowered them leading to the death of four of them while an 8-year-old Sahura survived.
Confirming the incident, Shiisu Lawan Adam, the Jigawa State Police Command’s spokesman said the victims bodies were recovered by a team of police operatives and local canoe drivers.
“In a tragic and devastating incident reported to the Command on September 28, 2024, at about 1530hrs, five (5) teenagers, all female, went to swim in a pond at Malkaderi village, Gagarawa LGA, on the same date at about 1100hrs”.
“But unfortunately, four (4) of them namely; 1. Saina’u Musa ‘f’ age 12yrs 2. Fiddausi Ado ‘f’ age 11yrs 3. Habiba Musa ‘f’ age 12yrs 4. Bahijja Musa ‘f’ age 13yrs, were found drowned and floating in the pond, while Sahura Audu ‘f’ age 8yrs was still struggling”, said Adam.
According to him, the victims were evacuated and taken to Gagarawa Primary Healthcare where four of them were confirmed dead and Sahura was resuscitated, treated and discharged.
The spokesman quoted the state’s Commissioner of Police AT Abdullahi calling on parents to always monitor their children’s whereabouts and warned them against swimming in any body of water, especially during the rainy season when the volume of most ponds, rivers, and streams are higher.