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By Correspondent in Zaria.
Late Miss Praise Malachi.
(C) News Express.
Zaria, a prominent town in kaduna state,North West Nigeria, was recently thrown into mourning when a promising 16-year-old girl, Praise Malachi, lost her life in a flood while hurrying home to confirm her Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) results, which her friends had joyfully told her were excellent.
According to News Express,Praise, a final-year student of Government Day Secondary School, Samaru, Zaria, had just earned a scholarship from the Centre for Girls Education (CGE) for her brilliance and was set on a bright path toward furthering her studies. But her dream was tragically cut short.
Her father, Emmanuel Malachi, narrated the heart-wrenching incident.
“It was around 6 p.m. after rainfall when my daughter’s friends came to my shop to inform her that the results were out and that she performed excellently.
“She became excited and rushed home to check them on her phone. But while attempting to cross a river swollen by erosion, she slipped and was swept away by the flood. Her lifeless body was later found the next day in faraway Hunkuyi, in Kudan Local Government Area,” he said in tears.
Neighbors, Danladi Mudi and Emma Yashi, lamented that erosion had turned the area into a death trap.
“This is not the first life lost to the flood here. Several children have died in similar circumstances,” Yashi said sorrowfully.
The Director of the Centre for Girls Education, Habiba Mohammed, who confirmed that Praise was one of their brightest scholars, expressed deep grief.
“We are devastated by her death. She was intelligent, disciplined, and full of promise. It is heartbreaking that a child with such a future would be lost to a preventable tragedy,” she said. She also appealed to authorities to urgently construct a bridge and tackle erosion in the community to prevent further deaths.
Zaria has recently witnessed repeated flooding disasters. On August 27, 2024, heavy floods ravaged over 200 houses, damaged LEA Primary School, and even washed away parts of Hayin Ojo Cemetery. Chikaji remains one of the most vulnerable areas.
Residents continue to cry out for urgent government intervention to save lives and prevent more tragedies like Praise’s untimely death.
(C) News express.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
