KANO — A somber atmosphere has enveloped the Rijiyar Zaki area of Gwale Local Government after a 30-year-old man, Mustapha Aliyu, lost his life in a freak domestic accident involving a deep well and a cooking gas cylinder.
The incident, which occurred on the afternoon of Monday, February 9, 2026, drew a massive, distraught crowd as rescue teams from the Kano State Fire Service struggled to reach the victim. What began as a desperate attempt to save a household asset ended in a heartbreaking fatality that has left the community in mourning.
The Desperate Act
According to eyewitness accounts, a domestic fire broke out involving a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinder. In a panicked bid to avert an explosion, members of the household reportedly threw the burning cylinder into a deep well on the premises.
Later, thinking the danger had passed, Aliyu descended into the well to retrieve the cylinder. However, he was quickly overcome by a lethal combination of stagnant air and gas fumes. By the time he was reached, the lack of oxygen had already taken its toll.
Rescue and Recovery
The Public Relations Officer of the State Fire Service, Saminu Abdullahi, confirmed the tragic outcome in a statement released Monday evening.
- The Distress Call:Â The service received an emergency alert at approximately 2:15 p.m. and deployed a rescue unit immediately.
- The Medical Outcome: Aliyu was recovered from the well in an unconscious state. Despite being rushed to the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, he was tragically pronounced dead by attending physicians.
A Symptom of Deeper Economic Despair?
The tragedy has ignited conversations among local activists regarding the “dangerous levels of desperation” currently gripping the nation. As petrol prices near ₦1,000 per litre and the national debt hits ₦152 trillion, many poor families feel they cannot afford to lose even a single piece of equipment.
Local leaders have linked the incident to the “too much suffering” recently decried by Pastor Folu Adeboye and the vanishing middle class mentioned by Dr. Franklin Ngwu. “People are taking extreme risks to salvage what little they have left,” one neighbor remarked.
Safety Warning
The Kano State Fire Service has used the occasion to issue a stern warning to the public. Officials emphasized that entering confined spaces like wells to retrieve hazardous materials like gas cylinders is a “death trap” due to the invisible presence of carbon monoxide and other suffocating gases.
The remains of Mustapha Aliyu have been handed over to his family for burial according to Islamic rites.
