Tragedy struck last Tuesday at Layin Baki area of Sha’iskawa community in Dambatta Local Government Area of Kano State when a man, Abdulhamid Muhammad, died while trying to rescue his sheep that fell into a well.
At the deceased’s residence, Daily Trust Saturday gathered from sympathisers that his family members had moved his wife, belongings, as well as the sheep to Moriki in Zamfara, his state of origin.
The over 40-year-old 35 feet well in question serves as the only source of water for the house and some neighbours.
Malama Jamila Ali, a mother of three, who lived in the same house with Muhammad, was among a few people who witnessed the incident.
Malama Jamila said:
“Around 04:00am, I heard the bleating of my neighbour’s sheep from the well.
“Then I heard his wife calling his attention to it and he came out. At that point, I also stepped out.
“His wife, Hawwau (Kulu), brought the rope that was used in tying the sheep, but before then, he had climbed into the well to rescue the sheep.
“Later, he called me from inside the well to untie the rope on the sheep and send it to him inside the well.
“It was at that moment that a girl, Ummi, came out to join us in trying to pull him out of the well.
“I called another girl, Firdausi, to also join us because it was getting heavier and difficult.
“He called my name again and as I looked into the well, the torchlight he was holding fell from his hand and it became dark inside the well.
“He called out to me that the sand was becoming softer and loosening, then the rope cut and he fell back into the well.
“It was at that point we started shouting for help and some people advised us to call fire servicemen who later came and brought him out.”
Ibrahim Shuaibu, a neighbour who came out when the family was calling for help, said, “I met Malam Yakubu who told me what had happened so I quickly picked my bike to inform his relatives and ran to the fire service office where I met Jamila already reporting the matter.
“When the fire service men arrived, the first person that went in could not find him and he came out.
“Then they used hook which fortunately got his trousers and they pulled him out from the water.”
Shuaibu further said, “I’ve known him for over 20 years.
“He comes and goes occasionally; he does not stay here permanently.
“He has three other wives at their home town and sells meat at various markets.”
He described the late Muhammad as an easy-going person who was loved by many and that.
The spokesman of the Kano State Fire Service, Saidu Muhammed, said the victim was rescued and rushed to the Dambatta General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Muhammed said, “We received a distress call at about 04:30am in our Dambatta Fire Station from one Ummi Muhammad in Sha’iskawa village notifying us of the incident.
“We dispatched our men who discovered that it was a 55-year-old man, Abdulhamid Muhammad, who fell inside a well.
“The incident happened when he was trying to rescue his sheep that fell inside the well.”
The fire spokesman, therefore, advised people to stop putting themselves in harm’s way but to inform the fire brigade in case of incidents.
