TRAGEDY IN KANO AS BODY OF 96-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FOUND IN SOAKAWAY PIT

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

Residents of Sarai Village in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area of Kano State were thrown into shock on Thursday following the discovery of the body of a 96-year-old woman inside a soakaway pit.

The Public Relations Officer of the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Abdullahi, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Friday.

According to Abdullahi, the agency’s Emergency Response Unit received a distress call at about 9:27 a.m. on Thursday from one Usman Adamu, reporting that an elderly woman had fallen into a toilet pit in the community.

“The Kano State Fire Service, under the leadership of the Director, Sani Anas, received a distress call from Usman Adamu at about 9:27 a.m. on Thursday, November 6, 2025, reporting the tragedy of a woman falling into a toilet pit in Sarai Village, Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area,” the statement read.

Rescue operatives later arrived at the scene and recovered the body of the deceased, identified as Habiba Ado, who, according to relatives, had been suffering from mental illness.

Abdullahi said the woman had been missing for four days before her body was discovered in the pit.

“The family appealed to the owner of the house to cover the pit to prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy,” he added.

The victim’s remains were subsequently handed over to the Ward Head, Alhaji Musa Muhammad, for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.

The incident adds to a growing list of similar tragedies in Kano. In April 2022, a 40-year-old man, Muazu Garba, died while attempting to retrieve his mobile phone from a pit toilet in Jirgiya Quarters, Nassarawa Local Government Area.

Likewise, in January 2023, two brothers Musa Abdullahi (27) and Rabiu Abdullahi (17) lost their lives in a sewage tank incident in the state.

Authorities have since urged residents to properly seal pit toilets and sewage openings to avert further loss of life.