- Women Drown in Boat Mishap Amid Bandit Attacks
- The chairman disclosed that motorised boats and life jackets had arrived only a day before the incident
- Hashimu added that efforts were ongoing to rescue survivors and recover more bodies
A tragic boat mishap in Zalla Bango, a remote village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State, has claimed several lives as residents attempted to escape renewed bandit attacks, Eko Hot Blog reports.
Eyewitnesses said the victims, mostly women, were trying to cross a river on Thursday evening after the Maghrib prayer when the wooden boat they boarded struck the edge of a collapsed culvert along the Goronyo–Sabon Birni road. The vessel cracked and sank, plunging the passengers into the water.
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“Many residents have resorted to fleeing their communities, crossing over the water to areas perceived as safer and less accessible to the bandits,” a local source told Weekend Trust.
The exact number of casualties remains unclear, with reports indicating that between six and 12 people may have died. However, the Chairman of Sabon Birni Local Government, Alhaji Ayuba Hashimu, confirmed only one recovered body as of Friday morning.
Hashimu, who visited the accident site, explained that the tragedy occurred as villagers desperately tried to flee another wave of banditry. He added that efforts were ongoing to rescue survivors and recover more bodies.
The chairman also disclosed that motorised boats and life jackets recently distributed by the Sokoto State Government to flood-prone councils including Sabon Birni had arrived only a day before the incident.
This is not the first such tragedy in the area. Last month, six residents drowned in Garin Faji, another community in Sabon Birni, while attempting to escape an armed attack.
Meanwhile, insecurity continues to plague the region. On Tuesday, bandits attacked Kwanar Kimba village, killing six people.
The member representing the area in the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Sa’idu Ibrahim, confirmed the assault, saying residents tried to resist the gunmen before being overpowered.
“I just returned from the village, where I went to sympathise with the grieving families,” the lawmaker said.
The recurring tragedies underscore the twin crises of insecurity and unsafe migration routes confronting rural communities in Sokoto State.
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