Tragedy has struck Tudun Kusa village in Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State after three children reportedly died while attempting to retrieve a mobile phone from a pit latrine.
The victims, identified as Najjashi, Mohammed and Ashafa, were aged between 12 and 15. They reportedly entered the pit one after another in an attempt to recover an Android phone belonging to a resident, Murtala, who had promised a reward of ₦1,000 to anyone who could retrieve it.
According to the councillor representing the area, Hashimu Muhammad, Najjashi, the youngest of the children, entered the pit first but failed to come out. Mohammed subsequently went in after him when he did not respond, while Ashafa later entered in an attempt to find his friends.
Sadly, none of the three children survived.
The councillor explained that the pit was originally a well that had dried up before being converted into a latrine.
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In a desperate attempt to determine what was happening inside, residents reportedly lowered a chicken into the pit, but the bird also died, suggesting that the environment was unsafe.
The bodies of the children were eventually recovered with the aid of a hook and buried in accordance with Islamic rites.
Authorities have since sealed off the pit latrine, while a three-day mourning period has commenced in the community.
The incident has plunged Tudun Kusa village into mourning, with residents describing the deaths as an unprecedented tragedy.
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