Eleven children die in Kaduna sand pit collapse; suspected child labour linked to informal madrassa.

Eleven children were tragically buried alive on Tuesday while excavating sand in northern Nigeria, when a pit collapsed on them, according to police reports.

The victims, aged between four and nine, were gathering sand to make mud bricks near Yardoka village in Kaduna State when the pit caved in.

“Eleven of the children died, and seven others sustained injuries. The injured are currently receiving treatment in the hospital,” said Mansir Hassan, the spokesperson for the Kaduna State Police Command.

He added, “Our officers, along with local volunteers from the village, helped recover the victims from the collapsed pit.”

Authorities are now investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, including whether the children had been recruited for labour—a situation that would qualify as child labour under the law.

The children were reportedly students at an informal madrassa, or Islamic religious school—a common institution in northern Nigeria, which is predominantly Muslim. These madrassas often serve children from impoverished backgrounds. In many cases, such children are sent to learn the Koran but are also expected to beg on the streets or engage in menial jobs to help cover their school fees.

Efforts by government bodies and local organisations to reform the long-standing madrassa system have repeatedly encountered resistance from traditional Islamic clerics.

This tragedy follows another devastating incident in February, when 17 students were killed and 17 others severely injured after a fire swept through a madrassa dormitory in Zamfara State, located in northwestern Nigeria, according to police reports.

Source: The Sun