Eight children have died after a pit caved and collapsed on the victims in the Badariya area of Birnin Kebbi in Kebbi State on Saturday, while two others are in critical condition as at the time of filing this report
Penpushing reports that the, the Chairman of Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area, Dahiru Ambursa, said the children who were Almajirai children met their untimely death while searching for clay and sand to mend holes in their room.
The chairman added that the local government administration has sealed off the pits with barbed wire to avoid future occurrences, and equally stopped further activities around the place, while the village heads instructed to inform residents
“We’ve sealed off all the pits with barbed wire. We’ve also indicated that there would be no more activities around the place. As part of efforts to ensure compliance, we’ve directed village heads to inform people in their domains that they must not go to the place with the intent of collecting sand for any use,” he said.
Penpushing also reports that the Islamic teacher of the children, Dan-Umma, speaking with journalists in Birnin Kebbi said he instructed them to get sand from the pit to mend holes in their room against the upcoming flood
‘I assigned them to go to the top of the hill near the school to excavate clay and gravel to mend the holes inside their rooms against the upcoming flood. In the process, I was told a heavy chunk of the laterite fell on them. I immediately rushed to the scene of the incident where I confirmed seven of them were dead and one other who survived was rushed to the hospital in Birnin Kebbi,” he stated.
Penpushing reports that Almajarai are children placed in the care of Islamic clerics to learn Quranic education, however, many of them are used for menial jobs and begging by the clerics, while it is also on record that sand mining is rampant in many parts of the country.
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