A heartbreaking incident unfolded on Sunday at the Gubi Water Treatment Plant in Bauchi State, where four workers, including a father and his son, lost their lives during a routine cleaning operation.
The victims—Shu’aibu Hamza, his son Abdulmalik Ibrahim Hamza, Ibrahim Musa, and Jamilu Yunusa—were staff members of the Bauchi State Water Supply Agency.
All four were laid to rest shortly after the incident, in accordance with Islamic burial rites.
DAILY GAZETTE reports that the father and son, who were working in preparation for Abdulmalik’s upcoming wedding in two weeks, were among those who drowned while conducting maintenance work in one of the facility’s reservoirs.
Malam Husseini Abubakar, a resident of Gubi village where the plant is located, described the situation as a devastating blow to the entire community.
“It is the will of Allah. He gives and takes life. As painful as this is, there is nothing anyone can do—this was destined to happen,” Abubakar said.
He recounted that the incident began when one of the victims entered the reservoir to retrieve a fish that had been spotted.
A second person tried to rescue him but also drowned, followed by the father and son who were likewise caught in the tragic chain of events.
Another resident, Musa Muhammad, called on the grieving families to remain strong and accept the situation with faith.
“While incidents like this have occurred before, this is the most tragic, claiming four lives at once,” he said.
As at the time of this report, the Bauchi State Commissioner for Water Resources, Abdulrazak Nuhu Zaki, had yet to issue a statement or respond to inquiries about the incident.
