Six pupils of Government Secondary School, Fadan Chawai, Kauru Local Government in Kaduna State, drowned on their way home after sitting the Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination on Wednesday.
The pupils, all from the Ribang community, were on their way home after taking the ongoing JSSCE examination when the tragedy occurred.
A community leader in Chawai and Vice President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, Ishaya Chingali, said that 11 pupils passed through the river linking Ribang community and Fadan Chawai.
“Six of them drowned and five survived,” Mr Chingali said.
He said that four bodies had been recovered while the search for the remaining two was still ongoing.
He stated, “They tried to cross the river to the other side like they had done severally. Unfortunately, six of them drowned in the process.’’
President of the Ribang Development Association, Yohanna Gwall, gave the names of the deceased to include Manasseh Monday, Musa John, Pius David, David Danlami, Yahuza Audu and Monday Ayuba.
“It is really sad; a tragedy has befallen our community. Their parents won’t see them again. Their siblings and friends won’t play with them again. They just left with their dreams and aspirations at their prime,” he said.
Contacted, Chairman of Kauru Local Government, Bashir Dawaki, said that he had directed security agencies to get a detailed report of the incident.
“I’m on my way to the place, but I have directed security agencies to carry out a thorough investigation and get back to me. I cannot say much right now until I am properly briefed,” he said.
In a statement, SOKAPU President, Tabara Kato, condoled families of the deceased schoolchildren and Ribang community over the incident.
Mr Kato called on government and relevant security agencies to come to the aid of communities by fixing roads and bridges linking other communities to avert a recurrence.
Kauru Local Government is a rural setting with its inhabitants trekking long distances to schools, markets and even farms.
Worst hit are those in Chawai Chiefdom, a rich agrarian community hugely disadvantaged by the dearth of passable roads and other basic facilities.
Findings reveal that schoolchildren miss classes for weeks when the rivers and streams surged during the rainy season.
The deceased schoolchildren attempted to cross the river in order not to miss their examination and the unexpected happened.
(NAN)
