One child rescued, another missing after river sweeps two away in Yobe
One child has been rescued while another remained missing after two children were swept away by a river in Dapchi, Bursari Local Government Area of Yobe State, according to the State Emergency Management Agency.
The incident happened at about 2:30pm on Sunday at Unguwar Bulama Alhaji Ahmadu in Dapchi.
Yobe SEMA Director of Search and Rescue Operations Dr Muhammad Ibrahim Jalo said state and local government rescue teams, supported by local divers, began searching for the children after the incident was reported.
As of 5pm, one of the children, 14-year-old Goni Mustapha, had been recovered alive.
Search efforts for the second child were still continuing at the latest authoritative update.
Search operation continues
SEMA has not announced a final outcome for the second child.
That distinction is important: the child remains reported missing and should not be described as dead unless authorities confirm a recovery or fatality.
The agency said further updates would be issued as more information became available.
The incident has also prompted a wider public-safety warning from emergency officials about the dangers posed by rivers and other water bodies during the rainy season.
Jalo urged parents and guardians to prevent children from playing near rivers without supervision, warning that apparently calm water can conceal strong currents.
He also advised residents not to attempt to cross swollen or fast-flowing rivers and cautioned against entering the water during an emergency without appropriate rescue support.
Child safety becomes the immediate concern
For the affected family, the central concern remains the search for the missing child.
For the wider community, the incident raises an immediate prevention question: how can access to dangerous waterways be reduced when water levels rise and children remain exposed to riverbanks?
SEMA has called on communities living near water bodies to establish warning signs and restrict children’s access during the rainy season.
The agency urged both families and communities to take preventive measures around waterways.
What is confirmed is that two children were swept away, one was rescued alive and search teams continued looking for the second child.
What remains unresolved is the missing child’s current status.
Until Yobe SEMA or another authoritative source issues a new update, that status must remain unchanged.
