Sunday, May 4, 2025, will remain a dark day in the hearts of the people of the Agyaragu Community, in Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. While Christians across the world gathered to worship, residents of this quiet farming community were plunged into mourning following the tragic death of five children who suffocated inside an abandoned vehicle parked in a residential compound.

Agyaragu, located on the outskirts of Lafia along the Makurdi highway, is home to a diverse population, including the Mada, Eggon, Migili, and Kaberi ethnic groups. Farming is the main occupation here, and life is often quiet and communal, until the recent tragedy.

Our correspondent visited the community, which had become a shadow of itself. Residents—men, women, and children—gathered in clusters, speaking in hushed tones and weeping as they tried to make sense of the heartbreaking incident.

This was not the first time Nasarawa State had witnessed such a tragedy. In August 2013, two children of a chief imam died after locking themselves in their father’s car in Sabon Pegi, Lafia.

A similar incident occurred in August 2019 in Keffi, claiming the lives of two children. The Agyaragu incident marks the third of its kind in the state’s recent history.

One of the grieving mothers, Mrs. Ifeoma Nnaji, 45, lost her two daughters – Nmesoma, 7, and Chidinma, who would have turned 4 on May 8.

Through tears, she narrated her ordeal, saying, “I was with them in the morning before I left for church. I gave them breakfast and told them not to leave the compound. They asked if they could play outside, and I agreed. That was the last time I saw them alive.”

Mrs. Nnaji said the abandoned vehicle had been parked in the compound for years and was always locked. “They had never played near it before. I don’t know how they managed to open it.”

The search for the children began around 1 pm and lasted until 2.30 pm. “We searched everywhere—every house in the area. We even informed the Mai Angwa to make an announcement,” she recalled. “Eventually, someone suggested we check the abandoned vehicle, and there they were, lifeless.”

Mrs. Nnaji, who lost her husband just seven months ago, broke down. “I have no husband, no children left. It’s just me and God now.

“My late husband didn’t go through the kind of trauma I’m facing right now. He died, and they buried him. But for me, I not only experienced the death of my husband, but I’m still living through the pain of losing my two daughters. After seven months of my husband’s death, I will now have to carry their bodies to the village and bury them myself,” she lamented.

Mrs. Bridget Iormagh lost her granddaughter, Eunice Shapera, 5, popularly called Bose. “She was always by my doorstep. She never wandered far because she was afraid of the dogs in that compound. That day, however, Eunice joined the other children to play.

“I had stepped out briefly to buy something. When I came back, she was gone. We searched everywhere, even rode motorcycles (Okadas) around the community. Eventually, we returned to Mrs. Nnaji’s compound and insisted she open her door, thinking they may have fallen asleep in her house.

“But it was a man we call ‘Doctor’ – a patent medicine store owner in the compound – who checked the abandoned car and found them inside,” she said.

Mrs. Iormagh revealed that, “I had lost all my children before and brought Eunice to live with me. Now, she’s gone too.”

Nasarawa govt mourns

The Nasarawa State government has extended condolences to three bereaved families following the tragic death of five young girls.

Leading a delegation on a condolence visit, the deputy governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, described the incident as “heartbreaking and tragic,” expressing deep sorrow over the untimely death of the children.

Accompanied by commissioners, special advisers, and the chairman of Obi Local Government Council, Dr. Akabe urged the grieving families to take the devastating incident as an act of God.

“Death has cut short their dreams at such a tender age. It is painful, but we must not question God’s will. He gives and takes life at His appointed time,” he said solemnly.

He added that the government and the people of Nasarawa State stand in solidarity with the affected families during this moment of grief and prayed for strength and healing.

Representatives of the families – Mr. Stephen Gen, Odo Sebastine and Ambrose Ugwueze – expressed appreciation for the visit, calling for more prayers and community vigilance.

Samuel Akala, Publicity Secretary of the Migili Youth Association and a community resident, confirmed the incident occurred around 3 pm on Sunday. He said some children were found dead in the vehicle; others died at Aro Hospital, Agyaragu.

The Nasarawa State Police Command, through its spokesman SP Ramhan Nansel, confirmed the tragedy and announced a full investigation.

In a statement, he said on May 4, 2025, at about 5.30 pm, one Mr. Ozimna Ogbor reported that five children, Kamsi Onah, Soma Onah, Eunice Udouchi, Nmesoma Nnaji and Chioma Nnaji, were found unresponsive inside an abandoned vehicle belonging to Mr. Abu Agyeme in Agyaragu.

He said the children were evacuated to the hospital, where doctors confirmed their deaths due to suspected suffocation.

The police pledged to determine the circumstances behind how the children gained access to the vehicle.

Nansel urged parents and vehicle owners to remain vigilant and ensure children do not have access to parked or abandoned vehicles. (Daily Trust, but headline rejigged)