By Patrick Idowu
A quiet Sallah visit turned tragic in Chakumi community, Abaji Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as two teenage brothers drowned after their canoe capsized on River Gurara.
The victims, identified as Yakubu Sheneni (14) and Usman Sheneni (16), were crossing the river to nearby Daku village in Gwagwalada when disaster struck.
A relative, Tanko Shilani, told Abuja Metro that the canoe, steered by one of the boys, was overpowered by the river’s strong current and overturned mid-crossing.
The siblings were swept away and later found dead.
“It was the overflow of the river that caused the canoe to lose balance,” he explained, adding that the boys were buried immediately according to Islamic rites.
The incident has left the community in mourning, reigniting calls for safer crossing measures and improved transportation access, especially during the rainy season.
