10-year-old boy drowns in Jigawa pond as NSCDC recovers corpse of abandoned baby

A 10-year-old boy has drowned in a pond in Lelen Kudu village, Buji Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

Spokesperson of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Jigawa, Adamu Shehu, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday, September 25, said the boy went swimming in a pond alongside his friends when he drowned.

“The Command, on Saturday, 24th of September, 2022 at about 1300hrs received a report of drowning incident involving a 10 year old boy in a local pond where he went for swimming. He was later identified as Sule Ya’u of Lelan Kudu Village, Buji LGA,” the statement read. 

“The sad incident occurred when he went for swimming along with friends in the morning around 1130hrs, but disappeared in the water. His body was later recovered after two hours of search and rescue operations in the flooded pond by local divers. On reaching to the hospital, he was certified dead and was handed over to his parents for proper burial.

“Meanwhile, the State Commandant, Musa Alhaji Mala (CC), said the Command will not relent in admonishing parents not allow their wards to be going for swimming in the flooded ponds, rivers and surface waters,” 

Mr Shehu also disclosed that the NSCDC recovered the body of an abandoned baby girl at a roadside in Kandahar Quarters in the Hadejia Local Government Area of the state.

“On Saturday, 26th of September, 2022 at around 1800hrs, attention of personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Hadejia Local Government Area was drawn by residents of Kandahar quarters who reported to have sighted an abandoned newly born baby in their area,” he said.

“The personnel swung into action and reached the place where they met the abandoned baby by the road side, along an embankment and covered with leaves, motionless. The baby was immediately rushed to the General hospital, Hadejia but after examinations by a medical doctor was confirmed dead. The dead body was then handed over to the ward head of Kandahar, Malam Sani Afenza for burial

“However, intelligence and investigation officers were tasked by the State Commandant, Musa Alhaji Mala to as a matter of urgency identify and apprehend the person (s) behind this despicable conduct for prosecution.” he added.