Ruth Semilore
READ ALSO;NELFUND Postpones Student Loan Application For State-Owned Institutions
Six secondary school pupils have drowned in the Mbang river in Ribang (Mbang) village, Kauru Local Government Area, Kaduna State.
The teenagers, according to report drowned while returning from a Junior WAEC exam at about 5:30 p.m on Tuesday.
The victims were identified as Manasseh Monday (16 yrs), Musa John (16 yrs), Pius David (15 yrs), Monday Ayuba (16 yrs), David Danlami (19 yrs), and Yahuza Audu (16 yrs) were students of Government Secondary School Fadan Chawai writing the West African Junior School Examination.
The National Public Relations Officer of Ribang Development Association, Pastor Simon Ishaku, who confirmed the incident to newsmen on Wednesday.
Ishaku said three dead bodies have already been recovered and buried.
He added that there are still three missing as locals have not been able to recover them out of the river.
Ishaku said,
“The school children left their homes full of hope and excitement while their parents went to the farm with the hope of reuniting with them after writing their papers of the day, only to meet their untimely death.
“The Mbang river has been a death trap for our people over the years, noting before the community can access any school or any hospital facility they’ve to travel for about 8 kilometres.
“We’re calling on the Federal Government, Governor Uba Sani, Senator Sunday Katung and our House of Representative members as a matter of urgency, to kindly assist us with school, hospital, access road and bridge in order to bring succour to our community,” Ishaku said.
The Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, has yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
READ ALSO;Senior Customs Officer Slumps And Dies During Investigative Hearing In House of Representatives
But, the Zonal Coordinator, of Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency Zone One, Mubarak Muhammad, said he would confirm the incident and make official statement known to the public.
