Four teenage girls from the same family drowned in a pond in Malkaderi village, Gagarawa Local Government Area of Jigawa State. The tragedy occurred on Saturday evening when the girls went swimming but were unable to make it out of the water.
Local residents and good Samaritans discovered the victims, who were later identified as Saina’u Musa (12), Fiddausi Ado (11), Habiba Musa (12), and Bahijja Musa (13). A fifth girl, Sahura Audu (8), miraculously survived the incident and was resuscitated by first responders.
Jigawa State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Lawan Shiisu Adam, confirmed the tragic event in a statement on Sunday. He explained that local divers and police officers were quickly dispatched to the scene, where they launched a rescue operation. While Sahura was saved and discharged after treatment, the other four girls were tragically pronounced dead by medical staff at Gagarawa Primary Health Care.
The Commissioner of Police, CP AT Abdullahi, expressed his deepest condolences to the grieving family and urged parents to be vigilant, especially during the rainy season when water levels rise significantly in ponds, rivers, and streams.
This incident serves as a painful reminder of the dangers that bodies of water can pose, particularly to children, during this period of the year.
