A yam dealer based in Gboko local government area of Benue state, Mr. Teryima Abomnger has lost two of his kids to a drowning incident.
The Next Edition gathered that Abomnger of No. 5 Ahule Iusu street Gboko south, on June 29, 2019, lost two of his kids in lake of Nguembi stream around St. Thomas Catholic Church Gboko south.
An eyewitness, Mr. Joseph Orban, said the two siblings, Shater Abomnger, 10 years and his younger brother, Terhide Abomnger, 8 years, drowned at about 12: 45 pm while searching for used bottled water containers.
He said the siblings, Shater and Terhide were primary 5 and 3 pupils of Aunty Ayam’s nursery and primary school Gboko.
According to Mr. Orban, while the two brothers were searching for the plastic bottles, Shater slipped into the lake drowning, ‘it was at this point that his younger brother, Terhide dived into the stream to save him, but unfortunately, both of them drowned.
He said efforts by him, Orban and others to save the two kids proved abortive, but with the aide of two other young men, the bodies of the kids were recovered and taken to the general hospital Gboko where they were certified dead.
Mr. Orban called on both Gboko local government authorities and Benue State Government to come to the aid of the community by filling up the lake that was created by erosion.
He said the call to fill it up has become necessary because the place has turned into a death trap noting that within his 15 years over 30 persons have drowned in the lake.
The bereaved father, Mr. Teryima Abomnger who is an indigene of Kunav Mbayongu, vandeikya local government told newsmen that he and his wife had left their children at home in search of their normal daily bread, but only received the shocking news from a friend through a phone call.
The late Shater and Terhide are survived by their parents and two siblings.
Reacting to the incident, the caretaker chairman of Gboko local government, Jacob Iorver in a phone call, prayed God to give the family the fortitude to bear the loss. He further promised that measures will be taken to fill up the deadly lake.
