A yet-to-be-confirmed number of Zalla Bango residents, a remote community in Sabon Birni local government area of Sokoto State have lost their lives in a boat mishap that occurred while fleeing renewed bandits attacks.
The tragedy occurred in the evening of Thursday, September 18, shortly after the Maghrib prayer, when a wooden boat carrying the fleeing villagers struck the edge of a collapsed culvert along the Goronyo–Sabon Birni road.
Eyewitnesses said the impact caused the boat to crack and subsequently sank. Most of the victims were women who had boarded the boat in a desperate attempt to cross the river and escape an anticipated assault by bandits.
“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 reporters.
Another resident noted, “This is not the first time we are witnessing such a tragedy in this area this year. Similar accidents have been recorded in recent months due to increasing insecurity.”
Confirming the incident, the chairman of Sabon Birni local government area, Alhaji Ayuba Hashimu said the actual number of casualties was still being verified.
“As of this morning, only one body, that of a woman, has been recovered from the water,” he said.
He explained that the accident occurred as residents frantically tried to cross the river to avoid another round of attacks by the bandits.
“The boat hit the edge of a collapsed culvert, which led to its breaking and eventual sinking. We are doing everything we can to rescue survivors and retrieve the bodies of the deceased,” Hashimu added.
The chairman also disclosed that motorised boats and life jackets recently procured by the Sokoto State Government had been distributed to flood-prone local councils, including Sabon Birni, just a day before the incident.
The Thursday’s tragedy adds to a string of fatal accidents linked to insecurity in the area.
Last month, six people drowned in Garin Faji, another Sabon Birni community, after a boat capsized while villagers fled a terrorist attack. Just last week, bandits attacked Kwanar Kimba Village in the same local government, killing six people.
The member representing Sabon Birni constituency in the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Sa’idu Ibrahim, confirmed the attack.
“Residents of the village tried to resist the attack, which led to a confrontation with the armed men. Unfortunately, six people were killed before the attackers fled. I just returned from the village, where I went to sympathise with the grieving families,” he said.
Sabon Birni and neighbouring communities in Sokoto East have been under recurring assaults by armed groups, forcing many residents to abandon their homes or risk perilous crossings in search of safety.
Although rescue efforts were still ongoing, the incident highlights the deadly consequences of the worsening security crisis in the region.
