Friends and families of five students of Victory Schools Kaduna were thrown into mourning on Wednesday after they went missing in the River Kaduna on an excursion expedition.
It was gathered that about 73 students of the school went on the excursion after paying N500 each.
They were said to have arrived the Kaduna State Water Board pump station, located around the Railway Station axis of Kaduna metropolis at about 11am on Wednesday accompanied by two staff of the school, which is located at Ungwan Yelwa, a suburb of Kaduna metropolis.
The victims, all SSS 2 students according to a reliable source are four male and one female namely; Priscilla Romania (female), Goodness Aromilade, Monday Umahi, Joseph Benedict and David Ukegbu.
It was also gathered that they were aged between 14 and 16.
When our correspondent visited the scene of the incident, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Kakuri Division, CSP Benshak W. Dakyer who came with his men, explained that he was not in position to speak on the matter. Because he was yet to brief the Kaduna Police Command Headquarters.
In clarifying what happened at the scene, he took our correspondent to the exact location where where the incident occurred.
He explained that initially, he was told that the school officially wrote to the management of the facility that they were coming for an excursion and it was approved.“We learnt that they did a follow up on Tuesday, a day before the unfortunate incident and it was confirmed that they could come,” he said.
He further explained that the iron boat which was used in moving the students to the position were eater is pumped from broke and the boat capsized.Speaking further, he said that they have alerted other formations along the flow of the river, to watch out for the missing children, while disclosing that initially, those that drowned were 10, but five were rescued and have been treated and discharged from hospital.
According to one of the victims who was rescued after the boat capsized, the guide never told them the crane that controls the boat was not able to support heavy weight and that may have resulted to the breaking of the connecting metals holding the frames to it.
He said that he escaped narrowly by clinging unto one of the iron supports after the capsize.
“I then managed to come out be swimming. My friends were also trying to come out but the pressure of the water was much, so they could not,” he added.
When the school was visited, nobody was seen to comment on the issue, as it was under locks.
They were said to have arrived the Kaduna State Water Board pump station, located around the Railway Station axis of Kaduna metropolis at about 11am on Wednesday accompanied by two staff of the school, which is located at Ungwan Yelwa, a suburb of Kaduna metropolis.
The victims, all SSS 2 students according to a reliable source are four male and one female namely; Priscilla Romania (female), Goodness Aromilade, Monday Umahi, Joseph Benedict and David Ukegbu.
It was also gathered that they were aged between 14 and 16.
When our correspondent visited the scene of the incident, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Kakuri Division, CSP Benshak W. Dakyer who came with his men, explained that he was not in position to speak on the matter. Because he was yet to brief the Kaduna Police Command Headquarters.
In clarifying what happened at the scene, he took our correspondent to the exact location where where the incident occurred.
He explained that initially, he was told that the school officially wrote to the management of the facility that they were coming for an excursion and it was approved.“We learnt that they did a follow up on Tuesday, a day before the unfortunate incident and it was confirmed that they could come,” he said.
He further explained that the iron boat which was used in moving the students to the position were eater is pumped from broke and the boat capsized.Speaking further, he said that they have alerted other formations along the flow of the river, to watch out for the missing children, while disclosing that initially, those that drowned were 10, but five were rescued and have been treated and discharged from hospital.
According to one of the victims who was rescued after the boat capsized, the guide never told them the crane that controls the boat was not able to support heavy weight and that may have resulted to the breaking of the connecting metals holding the frames to it.
He said that he escaped narrowly by clinging unto one of the iron supports after the capsize.
“I then managed to come out be swimming. My friends were also trying to come out but the pressure of the water was much, so they could not,” he added.
When the school was visited, nobody was seen to comment on the issue, as it was under locks.
