A tragic incident unfolded in Jigawa State on Saturday as four teenage girls from the same family drowned in a pond in Malkaderi village, Gagarawa Local Government Area.
The girls were reportedly swimming when the incident occurred.
According to DSP Lawan Shiisu Adam, the spokesperson for the Jigawa State Police Command, five girls entered the pond, but only one survived.
The victims were identified as Saina’u Musa, 12, Fiddausi Ado, 11, Habiba Musa, 12, and Bahijja Musa, 13. Sahura Audu, 8, was the sole survivor.Local divers and police officers recovered the bodies and rushed them to Gagarawa Primary Health Care. “By the time they arrived at the health center, four of the girls were already gone,” said a health worker from the center.
Sahura was treated and has since been discharged.
The Jigawa State Commissioner of Police, CP AT Abdullahi, urged parents to be vigilant, especially during the rainy season. “We advise families to be extra cautious and remind their children of the dangers of swimming in ponds,” he stated.
Local residents expressed shock and grief over the tragedy. One villager, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “It’s heartbreaking. We’ve never seen something like this before.”
