Six students of Government Secondary School, Fadan Chawai, Kauru Local Government in Kaduna State, drowned on their way home after writing the Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination (JSSE), on Wednesday.
The students, all from Ribang community, were on their way back home after writing the ongoing JSSC examination when the tragedy occurred.
Mr Ishaya Chingali, community leader in Chawai and Vice President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), said that 11 students entered the river linking Ribang community and Fadan Chawai.
“Six of them drowned, five survived,” Chingali told the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN).
He said that four bodies had been recovered while the search for the remaining two was still ongoing.
“They tried to cross the river to the other side like they have done severally.
“Unfortunately, six of them drowned in the process,” he said.
Mr Yohanna Gwall, President of the Ribang Development Association, 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 fumed.
When contacted, Mr Bashir Dawaki, Chairman of Kauru Local Government, said that he had directed security agencies to get a detailed report of what happened.
“I’m on my way to the place, but I have directed the security agencies to carry out a thorough investigation and get back to me.
“So, I cannot say much right now until I am properly briefed,” he said.
In a statement, Mr Tabara Kato, SOKAPU President, condoled families of the deceased school children and Ribang community over the unfortunate incident.
Kato called on government and all relevant security agencies to come to the aid of rural communities by fixing roads and bridges that link up other communities to avert a recurrence.
Kauru Local Government is a generally rural setting with its inhabitants trekking long distances to schools, markets and even farms.
Worst hit are those in Chawai Chiefdom, a very rich agrarian community hugely disadvantaged by the acute dearth of roads and other basic facilities.
Findings reveal that school children miss classes for weeks when the rivers and streams get filled up during the rainy season.
The deceased school children opted to dare the river so as not to miss their examination and the unexpected happened. (NAN)
By Amen Gajira
