THE deaths of children trapped in abandoned or unattended vehicles have become a recurring tragedy in Nigeria, claiming at least 18 young lives since 2021.
The trend continues to plague the nation, as reports emerged again on Monday, May 5, that the Nasarawa State Police Command ordered an investigation into the death of five children found dead in an abandoned vehicle in the Agyaragu community of Obi Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
In a statement signed by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ramhan Nansel, the state Commissioner of Police (CP), Shetima Jauro-Mohammed, ordered a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The CP said the children’s dead bodies were found inside an abandoned, unusable vehicle parked at the residence of one Abu Agyeme.
According to the police, on Sunday, May 4, at about 5:30 pm, a resident of the area, Ozimna Ogbor, reported to the police that the children were discovered ‘unresponsive’ inside an unserviceable vehicle parked in a compound.
The children were between six and 10 years old.
The CP expressed sadness over the loss and extended the command’s condolences to the bereaved families.
The ICIR tracked five such reported incidents since 2021. In addition to the most recent case in Nasarawa, children have reportedly suffocated to death in Kwara, Delta, Niger, and Lagos states.
Three siblings found dead in a car in Kwara
In February 2024, three siblings, a boy and two girls, died after suffocating in a car parked in their residential quarters in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
Their mother, Shade Silifat, had left home to buy noodles for their lunch. Upon returning, she found her children dead and fainted from the shock.
The incident occurred around 2 pm when the three children accidentally locked themselves inside a parked car in their quarters. The car reportedly belonged to their aunt and had been borrowed by their father.
The mother discovered the children’s shoes outside the car and raised an alarm after forcing the doors open.
The children were rushed to a clinic and then transferred to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
The bodies were later buried in a Muslim cemetery according to Islamic rites.
Five children found dead in abandoned car in Niger
In April 2024, the bodies of five children were found in Minna, Niger State, after they were trapped in an abandoned vehicle.
According to reports, three children of the same parents and two others, whose ages ranged from five to 10, died in an abandoned Honda Civic with registration No. GO 778 ABC, after they locked themselves inside the car for hours.
The incident occurred in the Gurara Albishir area on Bida Road. The children were reportedly playing in a compound and accidentally locked themselves inside an abandoned vehicle that had been left unused for two years.
Decomposing bodies of two children found in an abandoned car
In another tragic episode, in 2021, the decomposing bodies of two children of a widow were found in an abandoned vehicle in Abraka, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State.
Two children, Kelvin Izakpa (10) and Fega Izakpa (7), were found dead inside a parked Honda Rover car with registration number AG 815 BKW along Okpoghoro Street around 2:50 pm on Friday, March 12, 2021.
Passersby were drawn to the scene by a foul odour, leading to the discovery of the children’s bodies inside a car that had been parked for nearly five years.
The vehicle owner, Eniku Aghogho Tayo, was reportedly arrested, and the vehicle was impounded for further investigation.
8 Children died of suffocation in locked vehicle in Lagos
The nation was left in utter shock in December 2021 when eight children who got into a vehicle to play were reportedly trapped and died of suffocation in Lagos State.
The incident occurred inside an abandoned vehicle at the Jah-Michael community in the Olorunda area of Lagos State.
The consequences of these incidents are devastating and often spark widespread outrage and grief, with many left wondering how such tragedies could occur.
Research indicates that there is no law specifying a time limit for parking or abandoning a vehicle in a particular location. The Nigeria Police Force also confirmed this.
The spokesperson of the Niger State Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun, told The ICIR that no law dictates how long a vehicle could be parked or abandoned at a specific spot.
“I am not aware of such law,” he stated.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance