Tragedy struck the hearts of parents who had labored to educate their children from primary school up to the Junior WAEC level when six teenagers drowned in the Mbang River on Tuesday.
The incident occurred in Ribang (Mbang) village, Kauru Local Government Area, Kaduna State, at about 5:30 p.m. as the students were returning from a Junior WAEC exam, rendering their parents’ efforts fruitless.
The victims were identified as Manasseh Monday (16 years), Musa John (16 years), Pius David (15 years), Monday Ayuba (16 years), David Danlami (19 years), and Yahuza Audu (16 years).
They were students of Government Secondary School Fadan Chawai, taking the West African Junior School Examination.
Related News: Kenyan Court Charges Cult Leader with Murder in Starvation Deaths Case
Pastor Simon Ishaku, National Public Relations Officer of the Ribang Development Association, confirmed the incident to the media on Wednesday.
He disclosed that three bodies had been recovered and buried amidst tears, while three others remain missing as locals have been unable to recover them from the river.
Ishaku explained that the school children had left home full of hope and excitement, while their parents went to the farm with the expectation of reuniting with them after their exams, only to face this tragic outcome.
“The Mbang River has been a death trap for our people over the years. Before the community can access any school or hospital facility, they have to travel about 8 kilometers,” Ishaku said.
He called on the Federal Government, Governor Uba Sani, Senator Sunday Katung, and their House of Representatives members to urgently assist the community with a school, hospital, access road, and bridge to prevent future tragedies.
The Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, did not respond to calls and text messages from our correspondent at the time of filing this report.
When contacted, Mubarak Muhammad, Zonal Coordinator of the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency Zone One, said he would confirm the incident and get back to our correspondent. However, he had not done so as of the time of publication.
You can also read: Fatal Electrocution in Ogun State Market; Mother Killed, Children Hospitalized