A teenager identified as Salim drowned while attempting to fetch water from a reservoir at the Sokoto State Water Treatment Plant on Sunday, May 11.
Eyewitnesses said the young man, while attempting to scoop some water from the reservoir, slipped and fell into the tank and struggled to come out before drowning.
The incident has sparked outrage among residents who have endured over a month of acute water shortages.
Locals say the tragedy underscores the severity of the water crisis in the state, with children and adults seen daily roaming the city with buckets and jerry cans in search of water for basic needs.
Angry residents accused the Sokoto State Water Board of negligence, saying the agency failed to implement promised solutions to the prolonged water crisis.
“The situation is unbearable. Every day we wake up to search for water, and now a young life has been lost. What else has to happen before something is done?” a resident lamented.
