Tragedy struck in northern Nigeria on Tuesday when a sand pit collapsed, killing 11 children and injuring seven others in Yardoka village, Kaduna State, according to local police.
The children, aged between four and nine, had been excavating sand to make mud bricks when the pit suddenly gave way, burying them alive. Kaduna State police spokesperson Mansir Hassan confirmed the fatalities, adding that the injured are receiving treatment in a local hospital.
“Our men and volunteers from the village dug out the victims from the collapsed pit,” Hassan said in a statement.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, focusing on whether the children were recruited to work, an act that would constitute child labour under Nigerian law.
The victims were students at an informal madrassa, or Islamic religious school, a type of institution common in northern Nigeria. These schools often cater to children from poor families, who are sometimes expected to beg or engage in menial labor to support their education.
The incident has once again highlighted the risks faced by vulnerable children in the region and renewed scrutiny of the informal madrassa system. Efforts to reform the centuries-old model have long met resistance from traditional Islamic clerics, despite growing concerns over safety and child welfare.
This latest tragedy comes just months after another disaster in February, when 17 madrassa pupils were killed and an equal number severely injured in a fire in Zamfara State.
Officials and child welfare advocates are calling for urgent reforms and better protections for children enrolled in religious schools.
Written By Rodney Mbua
