IT was a weekend of tragedy in the Northern part of the country as no fewer than 18 children were lost to two different accidents, while 10 others were critically injured.
Four of the children were confirmed dead and one injured when a building collapsed on them at Danzomo village, Sule Tankarkar Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
Report from the state indicated that the incident occurred at around 8:00 p.m. on Friday, when the children went out to play in the building which was in the neighbouhood.
In the early hour of Saturday, another tragedy struck in Barakin-Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, when a vehicle rammed into a group of children, killing 14 of them instantly and injuring nine others.
Sunday Tribune learnt that the Danzomo village house that killed the four children had cracked as a result of heavy rainfall that occurred earlier in the evening. The rain was said to have destroy many houses.
The deceased children include Abdullahi Abdu (six), Bashir Abdullahi (three), Maimuna Mansur (four) and Kabiru Yasir (six). The name of the injured was given as Jabiru Yasir.
Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abdul Jinjiri, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said all the four children died instantly at the scene, while Jabiru, who sustained injury, had been taken to a hospital.
The information officer in the local government area, Malam Magaji Muhammed, told Sunday Tribune that the victims belonged to three different families, adding that they had been buried according to Islamic rites.
He said among those at the funeral prayers were the local government chairman, Alhaji Muhammad Mujtapha; the district head of the area, Alhaji Musbahu Muhammad; and Divisional Police Officer, Alhassan Kawu Gezawa.
A source close to the scene of the Barkin-Ladi accident of Saturday told Sunday Tribune that the victims were members of Boys and Girls Brigade from three churches within the locality.
He gave the churches as Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Assemblies of God and Baptist Church, all in the local government area.
The source further disclosed that the children, who were 40 in number, were between the ages of 12 and 16, adding that they had been out as early as 6:00 a.m. for their routine jogging exercise to keep fit.
He said on their way back, precisely at Tundun Maza, a wagon skidded off the road and rammed into them, killing all 14 deceased on the spot.
It was gathered that immediately the incident happened, both the driver and the owner of the maize the vehicle was conveying from Bokkos to Bukuru market in Jos South Local Government Area jumped out of the vehicle and ran away to avoid being lynched by sympathisers.
The people of the community rushed to the scene in their numbers, while it was wailing all through as the children’s remains were being conveyed to a nearby health centre.
The result of the accident was a lull in the community, as the three affected churches immediately suspended their weekend programmes and meetings to mourn the children said to also double as security boys at the churches’ Sunday service.
The bodies were laid beside the road before they were taken to the mortuary and the injured ones transferred to Plateau State Specialist Hospital for further treatment.
When contacted, the state PPRO, Felicia Anslem, also a DSP, confirmed the incident, saying the police had commenced investigation into it and was making efforts to track down the driver of the vehicle.
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