The Duk Community in Pankshin Local Government of Plateau has closed-up the well where four youths drowned on April 19.

The community also banned visiting irrigation farmers from the village.

According to its leader, Andrew Damulak, banning the visiting farmers will save the community from “more mysterious deaths”.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), recalls that the youths – Tonzum Ngwalamba, Nentawe Leptak, Sati Tongleb and Ngompang Ngoshim – aged 18–25, drowned in the said well while trying to push the nozzle of a water pumping machine into it.

The first victim had tried to push the nozzle when he fell into the well.

The second victim jumped into the well to rescue the first, but did not come out; such rescue effort continued until the well swallowed four of the youths within a very short time.

NAN reports that the entire community resolved to close up the well after discussing the incident at a meeting on Tuesday.

According to Damulak, the entire community unanimously agreed to close up the well because of the unfortunate incident, and the fear of the unknown.

“We used sand and stones to fill up the well and close it permanently. We do not want such misfortune to reoccur,” he told NAN.

Damulak, Councillor for Works in Pankshin Local Government, however, refused to comment on the resolve to ban visiting irrigation farmers from the community.

“The only thing I can say is that the community is prepared to take any step to avoid a recurrence of that ugly incident,” he said.

Mr Luka Nenfot, a farmer in the village, however told NAN that 30 visiting irrigation farmers had been sent away from the community because of the mysterious deaths.

“The entire community sat and took that painful decision to avert any further loss of innocent lives.”

“The April incident that cost four lives was the fifth of such mysterious deaths and we are not ready for another,” he said.

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Community closes well that `swallowed’ 4 youths