Inside Kano wells of death

The term, wells of death, would quickly refer one’s mind to the once famous American motor-drome racing, a dangerous carnival sideshow featuring motorcycles and vehicles, where performers ride horizontally along the vertical walls of a wooden, barrel-shaped structure, often performing stunts.

Similarly, in India, this carnival stunt involves cars, motorcycles, brave drivers and speed. Inside a wooden barrel, drivers defy gravity riding at a 90-degree incline, relying solely on engine power to perform, while the lights and noise complete the experience for the audience.

It is a highly dangerous and specialised profession with dwindling popularity and few new practitioners in today’s world.

However, back in Kano, Nigeria, the same phrase, ‘Wells of death’ carries a whole new meaning with the increasing number of deaths being recorded to have involved wells in the state in recent times.

Once a phrase associated with a carnival of attraction globally, the phrase on the other hand, ironically has sent shivers down the spine of many families  in the state leaving them traumatised and in grief. Across several communities in Kano State, open and poorly secured wells have continued to claim lives in a string of tragic incidents that have left families devastated and authorities grappling with intending preventive measures

Findings by Weekend Trust show that between June 2024 and February 2026, no fewer than a dozen, many of them children and young adults, lost their lives in separate well-related accidents across nine local government areas of the state.

From Nasarawa to Danbatta, Dawakin Tofa to Gwale, the pattern is disturbingly similar: an uncovered or poorly secured well, a fall, sometimes accidental, sometimes during an attempted rescue and a desperate race against time that often ends in death.

One of the earliest recorded incidents within the period occurred on June 4, 2024, in Kawon, Alhaji Sani area of Nasarawa Local Government Area.

A 33-year-old man identified as Muhd Sagir reportedly fell into a dry well. Reports at the time noted that operatives of the Kano State Fire Service responded swiftly after receiving a distress call of the incident. Sagir was pulled out of the well unconscious and rushed for medical attention but was later confirmed dead.

The tragedy underscored the dangers posed, not only by water-filled wells but also by abandoned or dry wells left uncovered in residential areas.

In early November 2025, two families were thrown into mourning within 24 hours as two children died in separate well accidents. In Kashirmo village, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, an eight-year-old girl, identified as Zara’u Muhammad, reportedly slipped and fell into a deep well. Residents and local responders attempted rescuing her, but she was later confirmed dead.

Barely hours later, another tragedy struck in Dala Local Government Area, where a six-year-old boy fell into a well. He was rescued unconscious but did not survive.

Community members described both incidents as preventable, noting that many wells in the affected areas were either uncovered or inadequately secured.

Considered one of the most heart-wrenching episodes, in December 2025, four people, including two children, died in three separate incidents across Danbatta, Bichi and Nasarawa local government areas. In Danbatta, a father and his son reportedly fell into a well, and in a desperate bid to save them, another man entered the well but also got trapped. All the three were later confirmed dead in what residents described as a tragic chain of rescue attempts gone wrong.

In another incident within the same period, two children died in separate well-related accidents in other parts of the state, bringing the total fatalities within days to four.

The Kano State Fire Service reiterated warnings to residents to avoid entering wells without proper safety equipment and to always contact trained rescue personnel.

This year, in the Kwankwaso area of Madobi Local Government Area, a two-year-old boy, Sa’idu Ahmad, reportedly drowned after falling into a well. Residents said the toddler was playing near the vicinity when the accident occurred.

On the same day, in Karofawa Yan Kifi village in Ghari, a 28-year-old man, Suleiman Sani, also fell into a well and died.

The coincidence of two fatalities in different communities on the same day reinforced concerns about the widespread risks posed by unprotected wells across rural and semi-urban Kano.

In early February 2026, two more persons lost their lives in separate well-related incidents.

In the Bachirawa area of Ungogo Local Government Area, an 18-year-old man, Yusif Malam Gwani Isah, reportedly fell into an open water source. He was later confirmed dead.

On the same day, another victim drowned in Karaye Local Government Area under similar circumstances.

Authorities again used the incidents to call for heightened vigilance and preventive measures, particularly in densely populated communities where wells are common sources of water.

One of the most widely reported incidents occurred on February 9, 2026 in the Rijiyar Zaki area of Gwale Local Government Area.

A 30-year-old man, Mustapha Aliyu, reportedly entered a well to retrieve a cooking gas cylinder following a domestic fire outbreak. Eyewitnesses said the gas cylinder had fallen into the well during efforts to contain the fire.

In an attempt to salvage the situation, Aliyu descended into the well but was overcome, reportedly by fumes. Rescue teams faced difficulties reaching him in time. He was eventually pulled out but was confirmed dead.

Residents who gathered at the scene described frantic efforts to save him, lamenting that the absence of proper rescue equipment may have contributed to the fatal outcome.

Patterns of tragedy

An analysis of the incidents reveals recurring patterns. Many of the victims were children who accidentally fell into uncovered wells while playing. Others were young men who entered wells, either to retrieve objects or rescue trapped victims, often without any protective gear or professional training.

In several cases, multiple fatalities occurred because individuals attempted to rescue others without waiting for emergency responders.

The Kano State Fire Service repeatedly cautioned against such actions and urged residents to cover wells securely, construct protective barriers and promptly alert emergency services during incidents.

Hotspots across LGAs

The incidents were recorded across a wide geographic spread: Nasarawa, Dawakin Tofa, Dala, Danbatta, Bichi, Madobi, Ghari, Ungogo, Karaye and Gwale local government areas.

Community leaders in some of the affected areas have acknowledged the prevalence of old and abandoned wells, especially in densely populated or semi-urban communities, where piped water supply remains inadequate.

Residents said reliance on hand-dug wells for domestic water supply continued to expose families to risk, particularly where safety standards are not enforced.

“Honestly, there is negligence from our part as a community. There is no way we will leave a well open in the street and expect people not to fall into it. If you go to some houses, the wells there are also open and not raised up to a level where a child cannot slip into it.

“These incidents are not left to only children; adults are also victims. We just need to change our ways, that’s just it,” a resident of Gwale, Haruna Isah said.

A mother of seven, Hajiya Amina Saleh, also said the trend was very disturbing as loved ones are being lost almost on a daily basis in well-related incidents.

“Do you know how a mother feels when she loses her child; even husband? It is painful how these incidents keep recurring in Kano State and nothing is being said or done about it.

“Residents must be extra vigilant with the safety of their children, especially mothers; and everyone must ensure that open wells outside our homes are secured,” she said.

Public health advocates and community leaders have called for strict regulations on well construction and maintenance. They argue that property owners should be mandated to cover wells with durable materials and erect protective structures around them.

Some have also suggested that local governments conduct audits to identify abandoned wells and ensure they are either properly sealed or rehabilitated safely.

“These wells are all well known across communities; people are using them either in houses or streets. The abandoned ones are well known as well. We must come together to ensure that they are properly kept and secured for our safety,” a public health practitioner, Aisha Tijjani said.

While commending their personnel for prompt responses, officials of the Kano State Fire Service stressed that prevention remained the best solution.

They advised residents not to attempt rescue operations without proper breathing apparatus and safety harnesses, warning that oxygen depletion and toxic gases in confined spaces can quickly prove fatal.

Sadly, behind the growing statistics are a grieving family and community. For parents who lost children in Dawakin Tofa and Dala, and for relatives of men who perished in Danbatta and Gwale, the incidents are more than headlines, they are life-altering tragedies that will linger on if not engraved in the lives of family members.

“Psychological toll lingers long after burial rites are concluded. We cannot continue like this; it is also affecting health in most cases because when you lose a loved one, especially a child or husband, it goes beyond mourning,” Malam Ibrahim Tukur, a father who lost his son in Gwale said.

The list of casualties remains a stark reminder of the dangers lurking around unprotected wells scattered across Kano State.

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