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An 18-year-old boy, Salim Aminu, tragically drowned while attempting to retrieve a friend’s shoe swept away by floodwaters during a heavy downpour in Gombe State.
The incident occurred on the night of Sunday, June 29, 2025, in the Awara B area of Gombe metropolis.
Salim, a shop assistant at Habib Provision Store, had just closed for the day and was on his way home around 8 p.m. when he entered a flooded culvert leading to a deep valley in the nearby Kurba community. Despite warnings from bystanders and pleas from his friend, he continued pursuing the drifting shoe.
“He kept following the shoe despite people asking him to stop. Even the friend whose shoe got lost called him to come back,” Salim’s father, Aminu Muhammad, told WikkiTimes. “The waves became too strong. At one point, he held onto a solar pole but slipped away. People nearby couldn’t save him as the water dragged him violently.”
Salim’s body was later recovered in a valley in Kurba. His father described him as a “vibrant and responsible” young man, saying the family has accepted the loss as the will of Allah.
“Salim has left a huge vacuum in our hearts. He was always willing to help others, and that spirit led to his untimely death,” he said. “I urge parents to be vigilant with their children, especially during the rainy season.”
A close friend, Salisu Bashir, remembered Salim as a devout and loyal companion.
“He was very friendly and supportive. Salim will always be missed. My last moment with him was earlier that day when he asked me to perform ablution so we could pray together,” Bashir recalled.
