By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
In a tragic incident that occurred on Tuesday, six teenagers lost their lives after drowning in the Mbang river in Ribang village, Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The unfortunate incident took place at approximately 5:30 PM as the students were returning from writing their Junior WAEC exams.
The victims, identified as Manasseh Monday (16 yrs), Musa John (16 yrs), Pius David (15 yrs), Monday Ayuba (16 yrs), David Danlami (19 yrs), and Yahuza Audu (16 yrs), were all students of Government Secondary School Fadan Chawai. They had been eagerly anticipating the results of their exams.
According to Comrade Simon Ishaku Chinge, the National Public Relations Officer of Ribang Development Association, three bodies have been recovered and laid to rest amidst tears.
However, there are still three students missing, and efforts are underway to locate and recover them.
The Mbang river has long posed a threat to the community, claiming lives over the years. The villagers have been facing difficulties in accessing essential services such as schools and hospitals, as they have to travel approximately 8 kilometers to reach them.
In light of this tragedy, Simon Chinge made an urgent appeal to the Federal Government, Governor Uba Sani, Sen. Sunday Katung, and their House of Representatives member for assistance. He requested the provision of a school, hospital, access road, and bridge to alleviate the challenges faced by the community.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report. Similarly, the Zonal Coordinator of Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Zone one, Mubarak Muhammad, has yet to confirm the incident.
This unfortunate incident serves as a reminder of the importance of prioritizing safety measures and infrastructure development to prevent such tragedies in the future. The community’s plea for assistance should be urgently addressed to ensure the well-being of its residents.
