Two underaged girls identified as Maimuna Hassan (3-year-old) and another, Rabi Balarabe (12-year-old), have reportedly drowned in Dutse and Kafin Hausa areas of Jigawa State.
The spokesperson, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Jigawa State Command, CSC Adamu Shehu who confirmed the development said Maimuna met her untimely death in a neighbourhood water drain pit in Madobi village in Dutse.
CSC Shehu said the horrible incident occurred on Monday evening when the young girl left their home around 1700hrs to join her other siblings to play outside the house but unfortunately fell inside the unnoticed open pit.
According to him, “A search was launched within the neighbourhood over her whereabouts but yielded no results. Until around 2030hrs when a friend of her brother spotted her floating gown inside a water drain pit located a few meters from her home.
“She was then brought out from the pit and rushed to the General Hospital, Dutse but was pronounced dead by a medical practitioner.
“Her remains were afterwards released to her father, Hassan Ibrahim of Kofar Fada, Madobi for proper burial,” he said.
CSC Shehu further said, “In the same vein, on Sunday, one Rabi Balarabe, a 12-year-old of Ashuran Makera Village, Kafin Hausa LGA also drowned in a neighbourhood river called River Ashura.
“The said Rabi Balarabe went to wash her clothes with friends, and upon completion, decided to take a bath which unfortunately resulted to her death. She was taken to Kafin Hausa General Hospital but was confirmed dead and later released to her parents for burial.
“While commiserating with the families of the deceased on this ugly incident, the Command admonished those constructing drain pits without covering them properly to desist from doing so as they constitute a threat to the lives of innocent children.
“Similarly, parents are always advised to caution their wards on swimming in rivers and ponds, and if they must allow them, they should be under the supervision and care of an adult,” CSC Shehu however stated.
