KANO – Kano was thrown into shock Tuesday when 15 teenagers lost their lives in a boat mishap at Jobawa village, Garin Mallam Local Government Area, Kano State.
The teenagers who were mostly girls between the ages of 8 and 14 were said to be on trading mission when their ferryboat had an encounter with storm and capsized.
Eyewitness told Vanguard that the young girls boarded the boat to cross the river from a suburb called Lanjan to the Jobawa village, to supply cassava for sale at Garin Mallam town.
A Community leader at Jobawa village who identified himself as Utubatu Yaro, disclosed that the incident occurred Monday evening when a violent rainstorm shook the boat and forced it to capsize with the teenage girls on board.
Utubatu Yard explained ” they normally come here to supply cassava for sale around Garin Mallam town”, adding that unlike them “they don’t normally stay up to evening time, but because God Has destined the incident will happened, they were here until Magrib (evening prayer) .
He added that “there was a violent rainstorm on their departure, and I suspects it was the excessive rain that fell into the boat as well as the storm that overturned the boat.
Yaro disclosed that “we have been able to find the bodies of nine of them, and we are searching for the bodies of the remaining .”
Yaro further revealed that the captain reportedly escaped unhurt, adding that “he can swim well but could not save any of his passengers due to the magnitude of the rainstorm.
However, father of one of the victims, Mallam Saleh, said he was shocked with the story of his 8-year old daughter’s death, pointing out that he has accepted it as an act of God.
Rendering his account of the tragedy, Sale disclosed” She was sent by her mother to buy cassava, and we are all aware of their business. After Magrib prayer, the story came to us that a boat capsized with fifteen girls of our town, including my daughter.”
Saleh stated thst “I was shocked, but I must accept it as an act God. It is her time to go. May their souls rest in peace.”
Confirming the incident on phone, the acting Police Public Relation officer, DSP Mustapha Abubakar disclosed that 15 girls were involved in the boat mishap, but five have been rescued while ten are still missing.
