Several residents of Zalla Bango, a remote community in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State, reportedly lost their lives in a boat mishap while fleeing renewed bandit attacks in the area.
The incident occurred on Thursday evening, September 18, shortly after the Maghrib prayer, when a wooden boat carrying fleeing villagers struck the edge of a collapsed culvert along the Goronyo–Sabon Birni road. Eyewitnesses said the impact caused the vessel to crack and sink.
Most of the victims were reportedly women attempting to cross the river in a desperate bid to escape the bandits.
“Many residents have resorted to fleeing their communities, crossing the river to areas perceived as safer and less accessible to the bandits,” a local source told newsmen.
Another resident lamented, “This is not the first time such tragedy has occurred this year. Similar accidents have been recorded in recent months due to rising insecurity.”
The chairman of Sabon Birni Local Government, Alhaji Ayuba Hashimu, confirmed the incident but said the exact number of casualties was still being verified.
“As of this morning, only one body, that of a woman, has been recovered from the water,” Hashimu said. He explained that the accident occurred as residents tried to cross the river to avoid another attack.
“The boat hit the edge of a collapsed culvert, which led to its breaking and sinking. We are doing everything possible to rescue survivors and recover the bodies of the deceased,” he added.
Hashimu also noted that motorised boats and life jackets recently procured by the Sokoto State Government had been distributed to some flood-prone local councils, including Sabon Birni, just a day before the tragedy.
Thursday’s mishap is the latest in a series of fatal incidents linked to insecurity in the area. Last month, six people drowned in Garin Faji, another community in Sabon Birni, after a boat capsized while villagers were fleeing a terrorist attack.
In a separate incident last week, bandits attacked Kwanar Kimba village in the same local government area, killing six people, the member representing Sabon Birni in the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Sa’idu Ibrahim, confirmed.
“Residents tried to resist the attack, which led to a confrontation with the armed men. Unfortunately, six people were killed before the attackers fled. I have just returned from the village to sympathise with the grieving families,” Ibrahim said.
Sabon Birni and neighbouring communities in Sokoto East continue to face recurrent assaults by armed groups, forcing residents to abandon their homes or risk dangerous river crossings in search of safety.