Four teenage girl have reportedly drowned in a river at Malkaderi village, in Gagarawa Local Government Area of Jigawa State tate.
A resident told DAILY POST that the incident occurred on Saturday evening when the girls, who are from the same family, went to swim in the pond.
He said all the victims drowned in the pond and their remains were evacuated by good Samaritans.
Spokesman of the Jigawa State Police command DSP. Lawan Shiisu Adam confirmed the incident in a statement issued to newsmen on Sunday.
He said, “In a tragic and devastating incident reported to the Command on September 28, 2024, at about 1530hrs, five (5) teenagers, all female, went to swim in a pond at Malkaderi village, Gagarawa LGA, on the same date at about 1100hrs.
“But unfortunately, four (4) of them namely; Saina’u Musa 12yrs, Fiddausi Ado 11yrs, Habiba Musa 12yrs Ang and Bahijja Musa 13yrs, were found drowned and floating in the pond, while Sahura Audu 8yrs survived the incident.”
He explained that a team of Police officers and local divers rushed to the scene and launched a rescue operation.
The victims were all evacuated from the pond and ferried to Gagarawa Primary Health Care.
Four of them were confirmed dead by the medical doctor on call, while Sahura was resuscitated, treated and discharged.
The corpses were later released to the relatives for burial.
The Jigawa State Commissioner of Police, CP AT Abdullahi, extended his condolences to the family and relatives of the victims and prayed for their eternal peace.
He however cautioned parents and guardians to keep a close eye on their children and warned them not to swim in any body of water, especially during the rainy season when the volume of most ponds, rivers, and streams are higher.
