Six Teenagers Drown in Kaduna River After Junior WAEC Exams

In a tragic incident on Tuesday, six teenagers drowned in the Mbang river in Ribang (Mbang) village, Kauru Local Government Area, Kaduna State. The students were returning from taking their Junior WAEC exams when they met their untimely deaths around 5:30 p.m.

Victims:

The victims were identified as:

• Manasseh Monday (16 years)
• Musa John (16 years)
• Pius David (15 years)
• Monday Ayuba (16 years)
• David Danlami (19 years)
• Yahuza Audu (16 years)

All six were students of Government Secondary School Fadan Chawai.

Incident Details:

• Confirmation and Recovery Efforts: Pastor Simon Ishaku, the National Public Relations Officer of Ribang Development Association, confirmed the incident via a phone call with PUNCH Online. He reported that three bodies have been recovered and buried, while three others remain missing as locals continue their search.
• Community Impact: Pastor Ishaku expressed the community’s grief, noting the hope and excitement the students had as they left for their exams, which turned into tragedy.
• Call for Government Intervention: He highlighted that the Mbang river has been a recurrent danger for the community, which must travel about 8 kilometers to access schools and hospitals. Pastor Ishaku appealed to the Federal Government, Governor Uba Sani, Senator Sunday Katung, and local House of Representatives members to provide essential infrastructure like schools, hospitals, roads, and bridges to the area.

Response from Authorities:

• Police: ASP Mansir Hassan, Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, did not respond to calls and messages at the time of the report.
• Emergency Management Agency: Mubarak Muhammad, Zonal Coordinator of Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency Zone One, stated he would confirm the incident but had not provided an update at the time of publication.

The community and families are mourning the loss of the young students, whose deaths highlight the urgent need for improved infrastructure and safety measures in rural areas.