A tragic incident in Waza village, Birnin Kudu Local Government Area, Jigawa State, has resulted in the deaths of two young men.
The deceased, Abubakar Ja’a, 20, and Abubakar Rigija, 25, drowned in a pond on Monday, August 12, 2024. They were reportedly en route to the market square for their daily business when the incident occurred. The pond, located approximately one kilometre from the community, was the site of the tragedy.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) was later notified of the situation by concerned members of the Tulla community.
CSC Muhammad Garba, the NSCDC Divisional Officer for Birnin Kudu LGA, confirmed the incident. “We received a distress call at around 11:30 a.m. and immediately dispatched our disaster management officers to the scene. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts and the help of the community, we were only able to recover the bodies after about 48 minutes of search and rescue operations,” he said.
The victims were rushed to the nearest hospital in Waza village, where they were pronounced dead on arrival.
An investigation into the incident revealed that the pond had overflowed, leading to the drowning.
It was also discovered that Abubakar Abdullahi Damina had attempted to rescue his companion, Abubakar Alhaji Ja’a, from drowning, which tragically resulted in both of their deaths.
The remains of the deceased have been handed over to their respective families and have been buried under Islamic rites.
In a statement, the Jigawa State Commandant of the NSCDC, Muhammad Danjuma, expressed his condolences to the bereaved families. “This is a tragedy, and our hearts go out to the families of these young men. I urge parents and guardians to be extra vigilant, especially during this period when ponds and rivers are overflowing, to prevent further loss of life,” he said.
The NSCDC reiterated its commitment to safeguarding all residents in Jigawa State and urged the public to report any potentially hazardous situations to the appropriate authorities.