The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Jigawa State has confirmed the drowning death of a 15-year-old boy, Isah Muhammad, at a pond known locally as Sterling Pond along Disina Road in Dutse Local Government Area.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, ASC Badruddeen Tijjani Mahmud, said in a statement that the incident occurred on Tuesday at approximately 4:30 p.m. Muhammad, a resident of Bokoto Quarters in Dutse, was reportedly swimming in the pond when he got into difficulty.
Upon receiving a distress call, the NSCDC immediately deployed personnel from the Takur Site Division to the scene. Officers recovered the teenager and rushed him to the General Hospital in Dutse, where a medical doctor pronounced him dead.
The victim’s body was subsequently released to his family for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.
State Commandant Muhammad Kabiru Ingawa expressed condolences to the bereaved family, praying for Allah to grant the deceased eternal rest and give his family the strength to bear the loss.
The incident highlights ongoing safety concerns around unsupervised water bodies in urban areas. Sterling Pond, like similar sites across the region, attracts local youth particularly during hot afternoons, often without adequate safety measures or warning signage in place.
Local authorities have not yet indicated whether additional safety measures will be implemented at the pond following this tragedy. The NSCDC has urged parents and guardians to monitor children’s activities near water bodies and to educate them on the dangers of swimming in unsupervised locations.
Drowning remains a significant but often overlooked public Health risk in many Nigerian communities, particularly during seasonal periods when water levels rise and recreational swimming increases among young people.
