A 45-year-old man, Yusuf Usman, has lost his life after entering a well converted into a refuse pit in Kwa Town, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State, in an attempt to retrieve a mobile phone.
The tragic incident occurred on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, and was confirmed by the Kano State Fire Service.
According to the service’s spokesperson, Saminu Abdullahi, firefighters received a distress call at about 11:13 a.m. and immediately mobilised a rescue team to the scene.
On arrival, rescue personnel discovered Usman trapped inside the well, which had been turned into a waste disposal pit. Reports indicated that the victim entered the confined space after a mobile phone fell into the well, but he was unable to climb back out.
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Firefighters successfully brought him out unconscious and rushed him for medical attention. However, he was later confirmed dead.
Preliminary findings by the fire service suggested that the victim suffocated due to oxygen depletion and extreme heat within the enclosed space.
The remains of the deceased were subsequently handed over to the Ward Head of Kwa Town, Alhaji Muktar, for burial according to local customs.
Reacting to the incident, the Director of the Kano State Fire Service, Alhaji Sani Anas, urged residents to exercise caution around wells and other confined spaces. He advised communities to properly cover active wells and fill abandoned ones to prevent similar accidents.
He also warned residents against entering wells, pits, or enclosed spaces without adequate safety measures or professional assistance, stressing that such actions could have fatal consequences.
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