Three teenage girls met their untimely demise around 11 a.m. on Saturday in a pond located in the Buji Local Government Area of Jigawa State. They were tragically drowned while cutting grass to feed their livestock near the pond.
The tragic incident was confirmed by the spokesperson for the state command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, ASC Badaruddeen Tijuana, through an official statement released in Dutse on Sunday. The names of the deceased were identified as Fatima Sule (12 years old), Nasiya Sale (12 years old), and Huwaila Sa’adu (13 years old); all residents of Tulla village.
Shortly after the distressing event unfolded, the NSCDC personnel in the area received an emergency call from concerned members of the Tulla community at approximately 11:10 a.m. This prompted an immediate response, with the NSCDC team and Divisional Disaster Management Officers rushing to the scene to conduct a search and rescue mission.
Through the collaborative efforts of the local community, the bodies of the three teenage girls were recovered following a 30-minute search operation,” as stated in the official release.
Subsequently, the rescued bodies were swiftly transported to the nearest health facility in the area, where they were sadly pronounced dead.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the girls drowned while cutting grass at the pond’s edge.
Additionally, the statement mentioned that after being returned to their respective families, the bodies were promptly laid to rest in accordance with Islamic customs.
The NSCDC Commandant in the state, Mr. Muhammad Danjuma, extended his condolences to the bereaved families and urged parents to closely supervise their children’s activities, particularly during times of heavy flooding in ponds and rivers, to prevent such tragic incidents in the future.