[News] Boy, 12, drowns while swimming with friends in Ilorin (graphic)

A 12-year-old boy, identified as Lekan Benjamin, on Tuesday, March 16, drowned at Asa River in Ilorin while swimming with his friends.

The Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Falade Olumuyiwa, confirmed the incident, describing it as unfortunate.

He said the incident happened when the victim, a pupil of Junior Secondary School, Ilorin, went swimming with some of his classmates while returning from school.

At about 13:21hrs on March 16, the State Fire Service attended to the scene, at Ejiba Road, off Stadium road, Ilorin.

According to the fire officers present at the scene, the victim, a boy from Oja-iya Area of Ilorin, was recovered dead from the river by the firemen and handed over to his biological father, Mr Monday Benjamin.

Falade John Olumuyiwa (CFO) consoled the family of the victim and advised parents to watch over their children’s movement in order to prevent similar occurrences.