Two teenagers have tragically drowned in Mkar Hills Dam and Kontien stream in Gboko, the main town of Gboko Local Government Area in Benue State.

A 12-year-old boy named Kumater Kachii from Trinity Primary School’s street, Akaajime, Gboko, went to collect firewood at Mkar Hill on Saturday, June 22, 2024, with his siblings.

After gathering firewood, they decided to swim in a dam at Mkar Hill, where Kumater tragically drowned.

Kumater’s mother, Mrs. Veronica Sesugh, reported that with the assistance of local farmers and Mkar youths, his body was recovered and brought to their home in Akaajime briefly before being taken to his hometown, Branch, Kunav, in Vandekya Local Government Area for burial.

Another teenager, Aondosoo Ansambe, aged 13, from Jerusalem Street, Akaajime, Gboko, drowned in the Kontien stream near Akaajime-Mkar-Gboko road while swimming with friends on Sunday morning, June 23.

Witnesses, Mrs. Mary Ioryange and Avalumun Hembaor, stated that the incident occurred while the boy’s parents were at church for morning mass. The Akaajime youths and passersby helped recover Aondosoo’s body and returned it to his family.

Aondosoo, a primary school student at Vaxtee Nursery and Primary School, Akaajime, Gboko, will be buried at Mayongo, Kunav, in Vandekya Local Government Area.

Community leaders, including Elder Tyover Akaajime, Hon. Smith Akom Takema, and Youth leader Butty Shima Ukor, urged the government and security agencies to investigate why children frequently drown in the area.

They also appealed to parents and residents of Akaajime to warn their children against swimming and other unnecessary outdoor activities.