In Dutse, Jigawa State, a 15-year-old boy named Isah Muhammad drowned in a pond known as Sterling Pond along Disina Road, sparking new worries about the risks associated with water-filled ponds during the rainy season.
On Wednesday in Dutse, ASC Badaruddeen Tijjani, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Jigawa State Command, verified the event to a correspondent.
“The unfortunate incident occurred on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at about 4:30pm, when the command received a distress call concerning the drowning of the teenager,” Tijjani stated.
He claims that the victim, who lived in Dutse’s Bokoto Quarters, was said to have drowned in the pond along Disina Road known as Sterling Pond.
He clarified that NSCDC soldiers stationed at the Takur Site Division mobilized to respond to the emergency as soon as they received the distress call.
“The operatives evacuated the victim from the pond and rushed him to the General Hospital, Dutse for medical attention,” Tijjani said.
“A hospital physician examined the victim and verified that he had passed away either prior to or during his arrival at the facility.”
Tijjani stated that when his death was confirmed, the deceased’s remains were given to his family so they could be buried according to Islamic customs.
According to reports, the tragedy has rekindled people’ worries about Sterling Pond and other water-filled sites around Jigawa State, especially during the rainy season when ponds and other natural water bodies fill up with water.
The drowning, according to local resident Abdullahi Sani, who talked with our correspondent, is troubling because water-filled pond accidents usually get worse during the rainy season.
“The increased volume of water in the pond during the rainy season could make it more dangerous, particularly for children and young people who may venture close to the area,” Sani clarified.
Concerned about the occurrence, another neighbor named Musa Nalayi stated that “the drowning should serve as a warning to residents, especially parents and young people, about the dangers associated with approaching deep ponds during the rainy season.”
“The recurrent danger associated with water bodies during the rainy period required greater public awareness and caution, adding that residents should take the necessary steps to prevent children from going near dangerous water-filled areas,” stated Nalayi.
In the meantime, Commandant Muhammad Kabiru Ingawa, the NSCDC’s Jigawa State Commandant, sent his sympathies to the deceased’s family for what he called an irreversible loss.
While the command advised locals to be more cautious around ponds and other potentially hazardous bodies of water, especially during the rainy season, Ingawa prayed through the command for Allah to grant the deceased eternal rest and give his family the strength and fortitude to bear the loss.
