How my pikin and im friends die afta drinking ‘Zakami’ for wedding

Sunday 7 May, 2023 na date wey go linger for di minds of Sheka residents for Kano state (northwest Nigeria) afta wedding celebration turn ugly.

Just like e dey happun for many cultures whenever pesin dey celebrate, family and friends dey follow am jolly di moment.

As one groom and bride dey celebrate dia wedding day on dis day friends of di groom gather to follow am jolly not knowing say dia plan go lead to deaths.

Some pipo for Sheka area say na up to 10 friends die afta dem organise local tea drinking competition to celebrate dia friend.

‘Zakami’ as Hausa pipo dey call am na very strong drink wey many dey avoid as dem say e get side effects wey no good.

Mallam Abdullahi Mahmoud lose im 22 years old pikin, Mubarak for di incident and e tell BBC News Pidgin say e dey suspect say anoda tin fit dey inside di Zakami drink wey lead to deaths.

“I dey first of all call on authorities to do di needful, anytime wey wedding happun e go get groom and bride so dem suppose know dis pipo and invite dem to know wetin happun.

“I dey for my workplace when dem call me say my pikin dey very sick for house and when i rush come house di boy no even know who dey near am.

“By di time we reach hospital di boy don die so we bring am back home and burial am according to islamic rites.

“Na later I come dey hear wetin happun and di death of one of my neighbour pikin for Dandaji quarters and also Sheka Makaranta area all on top di same wedding drink.”

Mallam Abdullahi say im biggest suspicion na say something dey inside di Zakami drink and e remain for authorities to investigate.

“Some pipo say na up to nine pipo die but with my korokoro eyes na two pipo I know wey die my pikin and my neighbour son wey be also my pikin friend.

“My own now be say make Police invite di groom and bride and get to di bottom of dis mata so dat many families go get peace.

“I hear some pipo dey suspect drug abuse but my pikin no dey take drugs na only cigarrete I know say e dey smoke.

“I even tell am to come make we go work togeda on dat day but God don plan everytin.”

As BBC News Pidgin visit Sheka area, di pipo wey speak tok say na since after di wedding di groom and bride disappear and nobody know where dem dey.

Musbahu Sani dey stay di area and e tok say wetin happun don shock dia area and dem wan goment to act.

“Dis no be di first time wey dis kain tin dey happun, goment suppose dey regulate weddings and di kain celebration wey dey happun.”

Police still dey investigate di mata

Nigeria Police tok say dem no get any official complain after di incident happun.

But on dia own dem begin to investigate after dem hear about wetin happun.

Sheka residents also tok say di Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for Sheka division don visit several times to tok to families affected and pipo.

‘Zakami na dangerous drink and pipo suppose avoid am’

Dr Murtala Gujungu na medical practicioner for Kano and e tok say pipo suppose dey avoid di popular drink ''zakami''.

“For long several warnings don comot on substances like Zakami and di rest but some pipo still dey use am wey dey bad.”

“Even though for dis particular case na only investigations fit confam wetin lead to di deaths but all di same make pipo avoid Zakami drink and di likes wey get strong chemicals inside.”