Five kids died of suffocation in an abandoned vehicle in Minna

Five kids whose identities remain undisclosed, met an untimely demise after inadvertently locking themselves inside an abandoned Honda Civic bearing the registration number GO 778 ABC.

The tragic incident occurred on Sunday, April 21, 2024, in the Gurara Albishir area situated on Bida Road.

The vehicle, left unattended for a period spanning two years, became the unfortunate setting for the children’s fatal misadventure.

According to eyewitness, the kids, reportedly engaged in recreational activities within a spacious compound, ventured into the neglected car, only to find themselves entrapped within its confines.

Despite efforts to extricate themselves, the kids, regrettably, succumbed to asphyxiation after an extended period of entrapment lasting over five hours.

The community of Minna, the capital city of the state, is known to witness the exuberance of youth, often manifesting in carefree play within its thoroughfares.

However, the consequences of such uninhibited behavior were starkly realized in this somber event, underscoring the importance of vigilance and caution in the supervision of young individuals.

The eyewitness, identified as Bala Usman, recounted the distressing sequence of events, noting the children’s innocent exploration of the abandoned vehicle, which tragically led to an irreversible outcome.

The inability of the car to yield to their attempts at liberation sealed their fate, leaving a profound impact on the local community and beyond.

“They tried to open the car and it refused to open and so they gave up trying. The car had been parked there for about two years by the owner.

“They might have mistakenly locked themselves up from around 11 am while the parents were searching for them only to discover their dead bodies in the car around 4 pm after fruitlessly looking everywhere around the vicinity,” Usman said.

It has been ascertained that the individuals affected by the unfortunate incident were a total of five, consisting of four females and one male.

Among them were three siblings, one being a child of the vehicle owner, and the other a child from the local neighborhood.

In response to the occurrence, Aminu Ladan, the chairman of Chanchaga Local Government Area, has officially acknowledged the event, expressing his sentiments towards the regrettable situation.

“This is a very unfortunate incident, I must tell you. We pray for the families to be comforted at a time like this,” he said.

Aminu, whose residence is located around the neighbourhood where the incident occurred, immediately visited the scene and condoled with the bereaved families.

Further confirmation of the incident was provided by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Niger State Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun.

In his statement, he not only acknowledged the occurrence but also mentioned that the owner of the vehicle has been summoned for interrogation as part of the ongoing investigative process.