Six students have drowned inside the Mbang River at Ribang village in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The victims according to the locals drowned inside the river on Tuesday evening while they were returning from their West African Junior Secondary examination (WAEC).
The victims were identified as; Manasseh Monday (16), Musa John (16), Pius David (15), Monday Ayuba (16), David Danlami (19), and Yahuza Audu (16) all students of Government Secondary School Fadan Chawai in Kauru Local Government Area.
Officials of the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA) confirmed the incident to channels television. However, they were unable to give the number of casualties on the premise of an ongoing investigation into the incident.
But the National Public Relations Officer of Ribang Development Association, Simon Chinge, disclosed three dead bodies have been recovered and buried while three others are still missing.
He said that local river rescuers were still searching for the missing three bodies inside the river with a view to recovering their bodies.
“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,” Chinge said.
“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, Sen. Sunday Katung and our House of Representatives 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.”
