Kano State — The Kano State Fire Service has confirmed the deaths of four young men who drowned after falling into a blocked waterway at Zangon Kaya in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area on Friday, July 18, 2025.

This was disclosed in a statement by the agency’s Public Relations Officer, Saminu Abdullahi, who detailed the tragic sequence of events.

According to Abdullahi, the agency received an emergency call at approximately 1:48 p.m. from one Rabiu Yusif, reporting that four individuals had fallen into a waterway obstructed due to an ongoing railway construction project.

“Two of the victims had entered the blocked waterway to swim when they became trapped. In a bid to rescue them, a third person went in but was also trapped. The fourth victim also entered to help and suffered the same fate,” the statement read.

Upon arrival, the Fire Service rescue team, with the assistance of local residents, managed to retrieve all four victims. However, they were unconscious upon recovery and were later confirmed dead.

The victims were identified as:

  • Bashir Sani (28 years old)

  • Nasirudden Tasi’u (25 years old)

  • Usman Ubale (26 years old)

  • Yakubu Muhammed (22 years old)

Their remains were handed over to SP Abdulkadir Albasu of the Dawanau Police Division for further action.

Abdullahi cited "local swimming in a blocked sewer" as the cause of the incident, warning residents against venturing into hazardous waterways, especially those obstructed by construction activities.

Related Tragedy

This latest incident comes just days after a three-storey uncompleted building collapsed in the Abedi Sabon Gari area of Fagge Local Government Area, also in Kano State, claiming four lives and injuring seven others.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed the building collapse, which occurred following a prolonged downpour. NEMA’s Kano Territorial Coordinator, Dr. Nuraddeen Abdullahi, stated that search and rescue operations commenced immediately in collaboration with other agencies.

“Upon receiving the distress alert, we immediately mobilised a search and rescue response team to the scene,” Dr. Abdullahi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Both incidents have reignited concerns over safety protocols around construction sites and urban waterways in the state.