Fleeing Villagers Drown As Boat Capsizes In Sokoto

A yet-to-be-confirmed fig of Zalla Bango residents, a distant assemblage successful Sabon Birni section authorities country of Sokoto State person mislaid their lives successful a vessel mishap that occurred portion fleeing renewed bandits attacks.

The calamity occurred successful the evening of Thursday, September 18, soon aft the Maghrib prayer, erstwhile a woody vessel carrying the fleeing villagers struck the borderline of a collapsed culvert on the Goronyo–Sabon Birni road.

Eyewitnesses said the interaction caused the vessel to ace and subsequently sank. Most of the victims were women who had boarded the vessel successful a hopeless effort to transverse the stream and flight an anticipated battle by bandits.

“Many residents person resorted to fleeing their communities, crossing implicit the h2o to areas perceived arsenic safer and little accessible to the bandits,” a section root told reporters.

Another nonmigratory noted, “This is not the archetypal clip we are witnessing specified a calamity successful this country this year. Similar accidents person been recorded successful caller months owed to expanding insecurity.”

Confirming the incident, the president of Sabon Birni section authorities area, Alhaji Ayuba Hashimu said the existent fig of casualties was inactive being verified.

“As of this morning, lone 1 body, that of a woman, has been recovered from the water,” helium said.

He explained that the mishap occurred arsenic residents frantically tried to transverse the stream to debar different circular of attacks by the bandits.

“The vessel deed the borderline of a collapsed culvert, which led to its breaking and eventual sinking. We are doing everything we tin to rescue survivors and retrieve the bodies of the deceased,” Hashimu added.

The president besides disclosed that motorised boats and beingness jackets precocious procured by the Sokoto State Government had been distributed to flood-prone section councils, including Sabon Birni, conscionable a time earlier the incident.

The Thursday’s calamity adds to a drawstring of fatal accidents linked to insecurity successful the area.

Last month, six radical drowned successful Garin Faji, different Sabon Birni community, aft a vessel capsized portion villagers fled a violent attack. Just past week, bandits attacked Kwanar Kimba Village successful the aforesaid section government, sidesplitting six people.

The subordinate representing Sabon Birni constituency successful the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Sa’idu Ibrahim, confirmed the attack.

“Residents of the colony tried to defy the attack, which led to a confrontation with the equipped men. Unfortunately, six radical were killed earlier the attackers fled. I conscionable returned from the village, wherever I went to sympathise with the grieving families,” helium said.

Sabon Birni and neighbouring communities successful Sokoto East person been nether recurring assaults by equipped groups, forcing galore residents to wantonness their homes oregon hazard perilous crossings successful hunt of safety.

Although rescue efforts were inactive ongoing, the incidental highlights the deadly consequences of the worsening information situation successful the region.