A community is plunged into mourning after an 18-year-old and an 8-year-old die in separate but equally preventable drowning incidents in northern Nigeria.

The treacherous waters of Kano State have claimed two more young lives, leaving families shattered and exposing the persistent danger of open water sources in the region. In a heartbreaking 24-hour period, the Kano State Fire Service recovered the bodies of 18-year-old Yusif Malam-Gwani and 8-year-old Abdussalam Ibrahim, victims of a hazard that continues to plague the community with alarming regularity.

A Deadly Afternoon

The first tragedy unfolded in the Bachirawa neighborhood of Ungogo Local Government Area. Yusif Malam-Gwani, a teenager on the cusp of adulthood, drowned in an open water body, his life cut short in a terrifying instant. Despite a distress call from a concerned citizen, rescue teams arrived only to recover his lifeless body, which was handed over to the ward head in a somber ceremony.

Miles away, in the town of Karaye, a similar horror was playing out. Little Abdussalam Ibrahim fell into an open well at Kofar Yamma. The sheer depth and lack of protective barriers turned a common water source into a death trap for the child. His father, Malam Musa-Mudi, received the body of his son—a grim conclusion to a day that began like any other.

• The Pattern: These are not isolated incidents. Open wells and ponds are common in Kano, often lacking covers or warning signs, making them lethal hazards for children and the unwary.
• The Response: The Fire Service, led by Alhaji Sani Anas, has issued yet another plea for residents to cover wells and secure water sources. But without enforcement, these warnings often go unheeded.
• The Cost: Beyond the statistics lies the devastation of families losing their future. Yusif and Abdussalam are now names added to a long list of avoidable deaths.

A Call to Action

This double tragedy must serve as a turning point. The government and community leaders cannot continue to treat drowning as an act of God when it is often a result of negligence. Securing open wells is not a complex engineering feat; it is a basic safety requirement. Until Kano addresses this infrastructure gap, the waters will continue to wait for their next victim.