Eighteen-year-old Abdullahi Aminu drowned in a pond at Kofar Gabas, Danbatta Local Government Area of Kano State, on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, after falling into the water, the Kano State Fire Service confirmed on Wednesday, August 12.

The tragic incident was reported to the Danbatta Fire Station at about 3:28pm by Aminu Lawan, the victim’s father, according to a statement issued by Saminu Abdullahi, spokesperson for the Kano State Fire Service. The agency said a rescue team was immediately dispatched to the scene.

Also read: Two women drown in Kano pond after work

The rescue operation, however, ended in a grim outcome. Firefighters recovered Abdullahi from the pond dead.

Sani Anas, Director of the Kano State Fire Service, said the circumstances surrounding the drowning remained under investigation.

The statement did not indicate whether Abdullahi had been swimming or explain precisely how he entered the pond.

“Upon receiving the report, we immediately deployed our rescue team to the scene,” Saminu Abdullahi said in the statement.

Following the recovery, Abdullahi’s body was handed over to Baba Ado Sarkin Bai, Secretary to the District Head of Danbatta, for further arrangements.

The Fire Service expressed sympathy to the bereaved family and used the incident to renew its warning to residents about the dangers posed by ponds and other waterways.

The warning carries particular weight during periods of heavy rainfall, when water bodies can become deeper, more difficult to assess and more hazardous than they appear.

The Abdullahi Aminu drowning also comes against a backdrop of other water-related emergencies recorded by the Kano State Fire Service this year.

In March, two 18-year-old youths, Sadiq Isyaku and Auwal Isyaku, died after falling into an open water body in Kumbotso Local Government Area while reportedly trying to escape suspected phone snatchers.

Danbatta has also witnessed a separate fatal water-related incident. In May, four people died after a Golf Wagon carrying about 10 occupants plunged into Tomas Dam in the local government area. The Fire Service said a burst tyre was suspected to have caused that crash.

Earlier incidents have similarly prompted calls for greater caution around Kano’s ponds and open water.

In July 2025, 17-year-old Lurwanu Suleiman drowned in open water at Dandalama village in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area. The Fire Service said the cause of that incident was still under investigation.

The recurring incidents underline the potentially devastating consequences of approaching unprotected water bodies without adequate safety measures.

Also read: Two women drown in Kano pond after work

For the Aminu family, however, the latest incident has turned an ordinary Tuesday into a painful loss, with the circumstances of the 18-year-old’s final moments still awaiting clarification from the ongoing investigation.