A 16-year-old girl, Praise Malachi, has lost her life in Zaria, Kaduna State, after being swept away by floodwaters while hurrying home to check her Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) results.
Praise, a final-year student of Government Day Secondary School, Samaru, was said to have bagged a scholarship from the Centre for Girls Education (CGE), Zaria to further her studies due to her outstanding academic performance.
Narrating the tragic incident, her father, Mr. Emmanuel Malachi, said the unfortunate event occurred around 6 p.m. after a heavy downpour.
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“My daughter’s friends came to my shop and told her her results were out and that she performed excellently well. Out of excitement, she rushed home to check them on her phone. While crossing a small river caused by erosion, she slipped and was carried away by the flood. Her body was later found the next day in faraway Hunkuyi, Kudan Local Government Area,” he said.
Neighbours of the deceased, Danladi Mudi and Emma Yashi, said the area had long suffered from environmental challenges worsened by severe erosion, which often turns into deadly flooding during rainfall.
“Praise was not the only victim. This flood has claimed several lives in the past,” Yashi lamented.
Speaking on the tragedy, the Director of the Centre for Girls Education, Habiba Mohammed, described Praise as one of the best students in the programme.
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“She had already secured a scholarship from the centre to continue her education. We are devastated by her death. She was an exceptional child, disciplined and brilliant. We appeal to the authorities to urgently fix the erosion problem and construct a bridge to prevent further loss of lives,” she said.
Zaria has recently witnessed frequent flooding, with Chikaji among the worst-hit areas. On August 27, 2024, a devastating flood damaged over 200 houses, destroyed parts of LEA Primary School, and washed away sections of the Hayin Ojo Cemetery.
DailyTrust
