In a gut-wrenching incident that exposes how deadly a simple household chore can become in parts of Kwara State, a 12-year-old girl identified as Nabilat has died after falling into a domestic well at Ikoyi Community, Ilorin West Local Government Area.
The tragedy unfolded around 10:35 a.m. on Saturday when she reportedly went to fetch water, slipped, and plunged into the well.
The Kwara State Fire Service, through a statement issued on Sunday by its Head of Media, Hassan Hakeem Adekunle, confirmed that they were alerted by a resident known simply as Mayowa, who witnessed the incident.
Firefighters were deployed immediately. Sadly, they recovered Nabilat’s body, which was later handed over to a family member.
“According to the report, the victim went to fetch water and in the process, one of her legs slipped off the ground, which made her tumble into the well.”
The Director of the Fire Service, Falade Olumuyiwa, expressed deep sorrow and issued a stern warning to parents and guardians to stop sending underage children to draw water from domestic wells.
“Parents must desist from this dangerous practice. These wells are ticking time bombs.”
This Isn’t the First Time
Domestic wells in Ilorin have been silent killers for years.
- In the last 11 months, the Fire Service recovered 12 bodies from wells and 4 from rivers.
- A 57-year-old woman, Jamiu Sikirat, died in 2023 after falling from a well in the Adeta area.
- A 7-year-old boy drowned in a well in the Akerebiata area after slipping while fetching water.
- A 21-year-old mentally challenged woman, Hamudat, was also recovered dead from a domestic well in Pakata.
Another investigation reported that no fewer than nine people have died in well-related incidents in Ilorin alone, involving both children and adults.
Why These Tragedies Keep Happening
The core problem is structural: inadequate water infrastructure. Many Ilorin communities still rely on hand-dug domestic wells due to unreliable public water supply, which becomes even worse during dry seasons.
When boreholes fail and tap water becomes a fantasy, families turn to wells—some unstable, some unreinforced, most dangerously exposed.
The Fire Service has repeatedly pointed to three major causes behind these deaths:
- Carelessness
- Ignorance
- Lack of safety measures
In many homes, wells are not properly lined or covered. One misstep becomes a fatal fall.
Fire Service Warning — Once Again
The agency’s latest recommendations echo the warnings they have given for years:
- Stop sending children to fetch water from unsafe wells.
- Reinforce wells with proper concrete casting.
- Communities must fix or seal unstable wells to avoid more deaths.
The Bigger Picture: Kwara’s Water Crisis
This tragedy is more than a household accident — it’s a reflection of a broader infrastructural failure.
Several communities in Ilorin depend on sachet water and old wells because tap water remains unreliable. Groundwater levels and well structures are also weakening, increasing collapse risks.
The consequences aren’t just inconvenient. They’re deadly.
Bottom Line
- A 12-year-old girl, Nabilat, has died after slipping into a domestic well.
- Ilorin continues to witness recurring well-related deaths.
- Authorities are urging residents to prioritize safety and stop exposing children to dangerous water sources.
- The state urgently needs a functional, safe, and reliable water system.
If you live in a community with unsafe wells—or know anyone who does—raise the alarm, demand change, and push for safer water access. Before another innocent life is swallowed by the same preventable danger.