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Praise Malachi, a 16-year-old student, drowned in floodwaters while hurrying home to confirm her SSCE results.
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The teenager, celebrated for academic brilliance, had just earned a scholarship before the incident.
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Residents blamed worsening erosion and flooding for repeated deaths in the community.
A promising student, Miss Praise Malachi of Government Day Secondary School, Samaru, Zaria, lost her life after being swept away by floodwaters while rushing home to check her Senior School Certificate Examination results. Friends had earlier told her she performed excellently.
Her father, Mr Emmanuel Malachi, narrated that the tragedy happened around 6 pm after a heavy downpour. Praise slipped into a swollen river while trying to cross and was carried away. Her body was later recovered in Hunkuyi, far from the accident site.
Community members Mr Danladi Mudi and Mr Emma Yashi attributed her death to poor environmental conditions, stating that floods had claimed several lives in the past. They lamented that erosion had worsened flooding risks in the area.
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The Director of the Centre for Girls’ Education, Mrs Habiba Mohammed, described Praise as one of the centre’s brightest scholarship beneficiaries. She urged authorities to urgently address the erosion menace and construct a bridge to avert further tragedies.
Zaria has suffered frequent floods in recent years. In August 2024, over 200 houses and a section of a primary school were destroyed, while part of Hayin Ojo Cemetery was washed away. Chikaji remains one of the worst-hit areas.
