- Three persons declared missing
Calamity struck at the Garin Faji area in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State as at least six people died following a boat accident.
Reports said residents of the area were fleeing from an attack by suspected bandits when the disaster occured with three other persons currently declared missing.
It was reliably gathered that the unfortunate incident took place in the early hours of Thursday, August 21, marking the second time such was happening within a spate of one week.
Community sources disclosed that six days earlier, four people had lost their lives in a similar accident in the neighbouring Goronyo Local Government Area.
This is as competent sources further said the victims were among dozens of residents who decided on the boat ride option in a desperate attempt to escape possible danger after citing some bandits advancing towards them.
One of the local sources, who refused to have his name in print for fear of becoming a target for the bandits and their informants, hinted that the villagers had resorted to sleeping in nearby bushes to avoid night-time attacks but suffered this misfortune as they were returning home hoping for safety.
The source said, “Out of fear, many people no longer sleep in their homes. That morning, they were returning when the canoe capsized.”
Also comment on the mishap, another community member said panic broke out when the villagers saw the bandits approaching and the development prompt them to embark on a hurried escape attempt across the water, adding, “In their anxiety and ensuing confusion, the people rushed into the canoe, but it could not carry them all and it capsized midway.”
Confirming the incident, a member of the Sokoto State House of Assembly representing Sabon Birni, Hon. Aminu Boza, lamented that insecurity has unfortunately forced many residents to abandon their ancestral homes.
Boza said, “Some communities are now completely deserted. Most men spend the night in the bush and only return home in the morning,”
According to him, the Sokoto State government had deployed Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to Sabon Birni to support security efforts, which has so far led to some of the successes recorded against the criminal gangs.
The Law Maker further said, “Just two days ago, security personnel foiled an attack and arrested four suspected bandits. But the area still requires more security presence”.
Also, the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), while confirming the accident,
disclosed that 19 people were rescued from the water, while search and rescue operations were ongoing for the three missing persons.
An official of the Agency said, “In response, SEMA led a joint assessment visit with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), and the Red Cross to the affected community to confirm the casualties and engage with families of the victims.”
Meanwhile, the official hinted that a comprehensive report on the incident is expected to be jointly released by NEMA, SEMA, and NIWA.
Insider sources within the security and emergency agencies hinted that the latest incident further highlights the growing humanitarian crisis in Sokoto State, where residents in several communities remain displaced due to persistent attacks by armed bandits and other criminal gangs asking for ransom.
