A family in Kuje, Abuja, is still searching for the body of one of three siblings who drowned after they were swept away by a river while playing during the Independence Day holiday.
BBC Pidgin reported that the three children, Maryam, 12; Umaru, 10; and Hanifa, 8, were swept away by strong currents near Freedom Estate in Kuje.
Their father, Architect Aliyu Abubakar, told the BBC that the children had gone out to play after schools closed for the October 1 public holiday.
According to him, one of the children entered the shallow part of the river while playing but was caught by the strong current caused by heavy rainfall the previous day.
Her brother reportedly jumped into the river in an attempt to rescue her, while their elder sister also entered the water after seeing the two being swept away.
“All of them were carried away by the river,” Abubakar told the BBC.
Residents, swimmers and fishermen later joined the search, which extended from Kuje towards Gwagwalada.
The body of the youngest child was recovered at about 5pm on the day of the incident, while the body of the eldest, Maryam, was found two days later around Payi, beyond Kwali.
However, the family is yet to recover Umaru’s body more than seven days after the incident, according to the BBC report.
Abubakar said an elderly man who was exercising near the river had initially tried to rescue the children but was unable to hold on to one of them because of the strong current.
He said the family subsequently searched the river using sticks, planks and tree branches before fishermen joined the operation.
The grieving father described Maryam as an intelligent child who had recently returned from Kano after completing the memorisation of the Holy Qur’an.
“We were very close to these children. When I heard the news of their death, I cried and cried,” he said.
The family has continued to search for Umaru while mourning the loss of the two children whose bodies have been recovered.
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