Tragedy struck in the Gboko West area of Benue State on Thursday as a teenager, Japheth Amine, drowned in River Nomnor Mke after sneaking out of school with his friends during study hours.
According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred earlier in the day when Japheth and a group of schoolmates went to swim in the river.
While swimming, Japheth was reportedly overpowered by the strong current and could not be rescued in time by his friends.
His lifeless body was later discovered around 1:45 p.m. by local residents who had gone to the riverbank to wash clothes.
The incident has thrown the Gboko West community in Gboko Local Government Area into mourning, as residents expressed shock and sadness over the sudden loss of the young student.
Community leaders have urged parents and schools to strengthen supervision and caution students against visiting dangerous locations during school hours.
